LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

BV45 7/ ~ 
©four...:. ®mrm ^~_ +. 

Shelf.....£jb.8 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



15 IP*- 




'DEAR GOD! I THANK THEE." 



(Page 16.) 



WHERE IS HEAVEN? 



BY 



HEDW1G PROHL. 



TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN 



BY 

M. P. BUTCHER. 











PHILADELPHIA : 
LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY. 






The Library 
of Congress 



WASHINGTON 



Copyright, 1884, 

BY THE 

LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY. 



Westcott & Thomson, 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGB 

Messengers of God 5 



CHAPTER II. 
The New Year 29 

CHAPTER III. 
In Heaven 73 

CHAPTER IV. 
Joy and Sorrow 95 

CHAPTER V. 
At Tannenwiese 125 

CHAPTER VI. 
The Holidays 141 



4 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VII. 

PAGE 

A Brighter Day 159 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Christmas Joys 192 



WHERE IS HEAVEN? 



CHAPTER I. 
MESSENGERS OF GOD. 

A POORLY-CLAD boy cowered in the 
vestibule of a large handsome house 
in Breslau. The short winter day was draw- 
ing to a close, and, although it was not yet 
too dark for the child to carry about his lit- 
tle stock of fine white sand, he curled him- 
self up in the corner behind the broad stair- 
case, as though he had — for to-day, at least 
— abandoned all efforts to sell it. He had 
taken off his shabby and torn boots, and 
vainly tried to rub some warmth into his 

numb feet with his little shaking fingers, 
i* 5 



6 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

themselves almost helpless with the cold. 
Now he stroked down his curly blond hair 
as smoothly as he could, and, placing the 
bag filled with sand close against the wall, 
he laid his head upon it and spread a larger 
sack, already emptied of its contents, over 
him. But still it was so bitter cold! His 
teeth chattered, and, rub his hands as he 
might, they yet remained blue and stiff 

A side-door opened and a servant passed 
through the hall bearing a tray filled with 
cups of fragrant, steaming coffee ; in a 
basket on her arm appeared delicious-look- 
ing hot rolls. 

The shivering little boy did not move- — 
he was afraid of being discovered and again 
driven out into the cold street — but sudden 
tears rolled over his pale cheeks. He was 
so hungry, and had still so far to go before 
he should reach the room where his old 
blind grandmother dwelt; and he felt, be- 



MESSENGERS OF GOD. 7 

sides, so tired — so deadly tired — that it 
seemed he could never stand up again. 

" Only a quarter of an hour will I rest," 
thought the child, "and then I will run fast, 
that grandmother and Rosa may not be anx- 
ious at my long stay. Perhaps they will 
have a pot of coffee to-night and something 
warm to eat because it is so very cold. I 
wonder if the new year that comes to-mor- 
row will be better to us than the old one?" 
he continued to himself as he nestled shiver- 
ing under the cold sack. " Grandmother has 
often said, ' When the distress is greatest, 
help is nearest;* but our distress is great, 
and no one helps us. And if grandmother 
does say, ' God sends his messengers into 
the world to help the poor and make glad 
the sorrowful,' I will never believe it again ; 
• for the messengers of God have not come 
to us, and yet grandmother is ever praying 
to the dear Lord, and I too pray every day. 



8 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Ach ! ach I" he sighed; and again tears 
rolled from his heavy eyes. "What will 
I do if I cannot have warm clothes, and 
my hands and feet become so stiff with the 
cold that I cannot go about and sell my 
sand? Then must we all three go hungry 
— grandmother, Rosa and I ? — Dear God I 
beg thee with all my heart, send only once 
thy messenger to us with — with a new 
coat, or with — " 

Half dreamily the boy listened to the 
sound of an opening door and of footsteps 
passing through the hall, and it seemed 
as though a rustling of dresses and the 
whispering of soft voices were close beside 
him. But cold and fatigue had so overpow- 
ered him that his heavy eyelids only drooped 
lower and lower, and he sank into a sound 
sleep. 

" It is really and truly a poor boy under 
the sack," again whispered a voice; and a 



MESSENGERS OF GOD. 9 

daring little eight-year-old maiden cautious- 
ly lifted a corner of the coarse linen sack, 
and dropped it again over the sleeper. 

" Truly ?" asked the other children — a 
boy and a girl — as they softly bent down 
to see the face of the strange visitor. 

" How pale he looks !•" said Margareth, 
the oldest of the group. "And see !" she 
added, pitifully, as she peeped beneath the 
sack; "how ragged his clothes are! He 
has no stockings ; that is dreadful. Come ! 
let us ask mother to give us some warm 
stockings for him." 

" He may have some of mine," said Hu- 
bert, eagerly ; and the three children ran up 
to their mother's sitting-room, at the head 
of the wide staircase, all talking at once of 
the poor boy they had found lying in the 
hall. 

" I have so many things in my wardrobe ; 
please give some of them to him, dear moth- 



IO WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

er, " begged Hubert. " The poor boy must 
be half frozen." 

" Besides stockings, he needs shoes," said 
the impulsive Elsie, " and perhaps my leath- 
er boots will fit him. — You know, Motherdie 
— those with the warm linings." 

" No, he should have a thick jacket and 
warm woollen pants," said the motherly 
Margareth. — "And do you know what I 
would do, Motherdie," she cried, joyously 
clapping her hands : " I would not give 
them to him, but we might put them quietly 
in his sack while he is asleep." 

" Yes, ach yes !" shouted Elsie. 

" What great eyes he will make, and how 
glad he will be ! Then, too, he need thank 
no one ; for I know he will feel so strangely ! 
—Oh, Motherdie, that will be lovely !" 

The mother's dress was black and her face 
was sad, but as she listened to the children 
an expression of interest and sympathy 



MESSENGERS OF GOD. II 

lighted her gentle, lovely countenance, and 
she said with a smile, 

" But, my Elsie, always so impulsive, you 
forget that we have as yet nothing ready for 
this joyous surprise." 

"Yes, truly," said Elsie, sobering a little 
and thoughtfully putting her hand to her 
forehead. 

Just then Hubert came 'running into the 
room holding in one hand a pair of woollen 
stockings and in the other Elsie's boots. 

" Not so hastily. Patience ! patience !" 
said the mother, gently, taking the things 
from the children and laying them aside. 
'* Wait only a few minutes, and I also will 
have a share in your pleasure." She left 
the room, but soon returned with a large 
box, which she placed upon the floor and 
carefully opened. 

The joyous excitement of the children was 
softened as they earnestly looked at the 



12 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

mother and then at the box, which they 
knew well ; and Margareth's eyes filled with 
tears. 

" Will you give away the clothes of our 
dear Fritz?" she whispered, softly. 

The mother took from the box a warm 
suit of clothes, almost new, with a cloak and 
a winter cap. Stockings and shoes accompa- 
nied these, besides a large woollen shawl and 
knitted woollen gloves. One moment her 
glance lingered with painful sadness on the 
clothes, that had been worn but a short 
time since by her own lost boy ; then she 
handed the jacket and the cloak to Marga- 
reth, the other things to the younger ones, 
and said, 

" Now go, my children ; go and care for 
the poor boy down stairs. He also is your 
brother, only it is not so well with him as 
with you ; therefore he needs double love. 
Will the clothes fit him?" 



MESSENGERS OF GOD. 1 3 

" Yes, indeed," cried the children ; " he is 
just as tall as our dear Fritz." 

With happy faces they hastened away; 
but Margareth held her sister fast a moment 
and said warningly, 

" Softly, softly, that we may not awaken 
him. You must not chatter, Elsie." 

Elsie nodded her golden head, and noise- 
lessly they glided down the stairs. 

The boy still lay as they had left him, 

sleeping soundly; but the light in the hall 

had grown dim, and the children's eyes must 

become accustomed to the gloom before they 

could begin their work. Margareth carefully 

lifted the empty sack, and with faces glowing 

with excitement the children packed in it 

the warm winter garments, the cloak at the 

bottom, stockings and shoes on top. When 

they had finished, Hubert with a triumphant 

glance brought forth his share, the hot rolls, 

and laid them in the mouth of the now 
2 



14 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

upright-standing sack. He ,then tried the 
weight of the bag, wound the cord loosely 
around the top and placed it in the corner, 
close by the head of the sleeping boy, who 
at this moment deeply sighed and moved. 

The children quickly stole away, but stood 
still on the upper landing to watch and listen. 
A servant lighted the lamps in the hall and 
went away. The heavy tread of the man or 
the brilliant flood of light awakened the boy. 
He sat up and rubbed his heavy eyes, then 
reached out his hand for the cover he had 
spread over himself, but could not find it. 
Frightened, he started up, now fully aroused 
and forgetful of the cold that had so tor- 
mented him : 

" Ach ! My sack is gone ! Some one 
has taken it!" 

He anxiously looked around, and his 
glance suddenly fell on the well-filled bag 
which stood beside him. Is that his sack? 



MESSENGERS OF GOD. 1 5 

Astonished, doubting, he touched it with 
his fingers; he examined the cord with 
which it was fastened. Yes, truly, it was 
his sack. He recognized all the knots 
which he had vainly tried to untie; he be- 
held on the upper edge the familiar patch 
of blue — a piece of his grandmother's old 
apron with which a kindly neighbor had 
mended it. But what, then, had happened ? 
Who had filled the sack ? Had the messen- 
gers of God — Had they really come while 
he slept? And did the bag hold something 
for himself? His heart beat violently; he 
stood irresolute, but at last ventured to 
loosen the cord and peep in. With trem- 
bling hands and feverish excitement he lifted 
out one article after another. He could not 
doubt that all these things were for him. In 
greater haste he laid the wonderful treasures 
back again and fell on his knees. 

"Ach, thou dear God!" he cried, aloud; 



1 6 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

"I thank thee that thou hast sent thine 
angels to me; I thank thee many, many- 
times. But what will Rosa say, and grand- 
mother ? Ach ! I was never so happy in all 
my life." Bright tears of joy streamed over 
the little pale face. 

Over the baluster above leant three eager 
childish heads, and in their eyes also shone 
tears of sympathy, while thek hearts beat 
with the joy of those who know how 
" blessed it is to give." 

The poor boy sped homeward with his 
welcome burden, and the children returned 
to their mother, but more quietly than be- 
fore. To them had come a blissful con- 
sciousness not unmingled with awe. 

The mother looked up from her work and 
smiled at the little group, but Elsie ran to 
her and quickly hid her glowing face on 
her shoulder as she whispered, 

"Oh, mother, think what the poor boy 



MESSENGERS OF GOD. 1 7 

imagined ! He thought God had sent his 
angels to him while he slept." 

"And is it not true?" asked the mother, 
gently raising the child's face. "The Lord 
sends his messengers to all who are poor, 
suffering or troubled when they most need 
help — always at the right moment. There 
are, alas ! many who shut their ears to the 
Master's call — many who pay but little heed; 
but those who once have known this blessed 
privilege of ministering to the poor or afflict- 
ed ones feel that it is a heavenly mission and 
is rewarded by a peace and happiness which 
no earthly pleasure can bestow." 

" But if one has no money, he is unable to 
help the poor, dear mother," said Margareth. 

"There are other means of doing good 

within the power of every one, my child. 

It is often but little that God requires of us 

for our suffering brother — sometimes only 

a friendly encouraging glance, a comforting 
2* B 



1 8 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

or warning word at the right moment, a 
giving up of our own wills, a ' soft answer/ 
a little effort to smooth out the tangled 
threads for others. Often, truly, it is also a 
great sacrifice — something that requires great 
effort and endurance. And if we are not 
angels, but only poor faulty human beings, 
yet may we all be the messengers of God 
in our quiet, untiring labors of love, hum- 
ble and unperceived, as in the silent night 
the dew from heaven refreshes and strength- 
ens the plants of the earth. Is this not true, 
my children ? and will you not strive, ever 
with hearts full of love, to wander, as mes- 
sengers of the Master, on this beautiful God's 
earth, helping and making glad whenever it 
is in your power ?" 

The children had closely gathered around 
their mother and listened attentively to her 
words. She bent her head, and the matronly 
Margareth said thoughtfully, 



MESSENGERS OF GOD. 1 9 

" If all mothers would but do as you have 
done to-day, Motherdie, and would give the 
pretty warm clothing which they keep stored 
away in memory of their lost ones, who are 
in heaven and need nothing more, to the 
poor children who have so little, it would, 
be well; would it not, dear mother? Why 
do they not?" 

" There are many good people in the world 
dear child, and many hearts and hands ever 
ready to soften the hard lot of the poor. 
We will belong to that class as much as it 
is in our power. Let us begin the new year 
with this resolution. And now to work, my 
children ! The lamps are lighted, and father 
will soon be here." 

" Yes, Motherdie ; we must indeed be in- 
dustrious," said Elspeth the impulsive, with 
an important air. " I have curtains to put up 
in my dolls' house, and mirrors, and to fill the 
chandeliers with fresh candles; for to-mor- 



20 WHERE IS HEAVEN ? 

row is the court-ball and everything must be 
in order." 

"And I must dust our bookcase, from top 
to bottom, arrange the books regularly, in- 
spect my regiment and repair my fortress." 

Margareth laughed merrily : 

" I have the best of it. My things are all 
in order; and if the old year peeps in for a 
parting look, he will be quite satisfied with 
the prospect for his successor." 

"Ach ! he can no longer see well," cried 
Elspeth, saucily ; " he is so old that he cannot 
stoop down and peer into all the corners." 

Laughing and jesting, Hubert and Elsie 
hastened to the playroom, while Margareth 
assisted her mother in the arrangement of 
the tea-table ; for the Kommerzienrath Will- 
mers liked to be surrounded by his family 
circle on the last day of the year, and closed 
his counting-house earlier than usual on this 
evening. 



MESSENGERS OF GOD. 21 

Meanwhile, the poor boy ran homeward as 
quickly as he could with his double load 
through the blinding snow. The joy that 
filled his heart or the rapid motion had made 
him warm when he eagerly mounted the 
steps which led to his grandmother's little 
room ; he was quite unconscious of the cold 
or the storm. 

It had become dark, and, although the 
child had ascended the stairs many times, 
he was now compelled to moderate his haste ; 
for the staircase was narrow and high, and in 
the upper story lacked a railing. But at last 
he reached the shabby little door, and, gen- 
tly opening it, peeped into see whether his 
grandmother were awake or asleep. But, as 
though she had long waited this moment, a 
slender little maiden sprang from a low stool 
to the boy's side, threw both arms about his 
neck and burst into violent weeping. 

" What is the matter, Rosa? Do not 



22 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

choke me," said the boy, in frightened tones, 
as he let both sacks slip from his hands, and 
tenderly held the sobbing child. "Are you 
hungry ? Are you cold ? Do not cry so. 
See ! I have bread for you, and here in the 
sack are warm clothes and shoes and— " 

" Grandmother is sick ; and you must not 
not leave me again, Fritz : I am afraid." 

" Grandmother sick ?" repeated Fritz, anx- 
iously; and he walked toward the bed. 

The old Frau lay there with closed eyes, 
breathing quietly as though she slept, and 
by the dim light of the little lamp her face 
seemed no paler than usual. 

The sister raised her tear-swollen eyes, 
and inquiringly looked, now at her brother, 
then at the sleeping figure on the bed. 

" I do not see why you should be troubled 
about grandmother," whispered the boy. 
" She sleeps well ; why think you she is sick ?" 

" Frau Hanna' has said so, and the doctor 



MESSENGERS OF GOD. 23 

whom she called to see grandmother. She 
has lain there since early morning, and has 
not moved or spoken, and — " 

"And you, Rosa — what have you done? 
Have you had nothing to eat?" 

"Nothing; and I have been so sorry and 
so hungry ! and I have prayed for the mes- 
sengers of the Lord ; but," she continued, 
with a sob, "they have not come. And 
then I grew frightened ; it was so still that 
I—" 

" But, Rosa," uttered Fritz, exultantly, 
half aloud, " only think : the messengers of 
the Lord have come to me. Look into this 
sack, and you will surely believe it. Think 
you it is filled with sand ? Oh yes — beauti- 
ful sand ! See ! see here !" and the boy 
hastily unpacked the comfortable stores, 
while the little sister stood still in wonder 
and delight. She listened with great aston- 
ished eyes to his story. 



24 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

So absorbed were the two children in the 
discussion of this marvellous thing that had 
happened to Fritz that they started up in af- 
fright when the door opened and a neighbor 
walked in. 

Frau Hanna silently nodded to them and 
went over to the bed where the grandmother 
lay. She bent over the sleeping woman, 
listened to her breathing and sadly shook 
her head. Then she drew the children 
with her to the window and said gently, 

"You are such good children that you 
will not cry out and be unreasonable when 
I tell you that your grandmother must leave 
you." 

" Grandmother will never leave us," ut- 
tered Fritz, quickly and decidedly. 

But the little girl grew pale, and from her 
trembling lips sounded almost inaudibly, 

"Will grandmother die?" 

"Poor child!" murmured the neighbor; 



MESSENGERS OF GOD. 2$ 

and she stroked the sad face of the child. 
" Do you, then, know what death is ?" 

" Yes, I know," said Rosa : " it is to have 
golden wings and fly up to heaven to the 
dear God, where the sun shines ever and 
the many stars, and never more to be cold 
or hungry. Fritz and I would die too." 

'SDear, dear!" murmured Frau Hanna; 
" it is high time the children were in other 
hands. The good old soul has filled their 
minds with fairy-tales. — Come, children," 
she continued, comfortingly ; " do not weep, 
but go to bed. I will stay here." 

" No, I cannot sleep," replied Rosa, 
vehemently. 

" Rosa, do not be obstinate," begged the 
woman. u See ! I have brought you a piece 
of buttered bread." 

The child shook her head and turned 
away. 

" Look, Fritz, how naughty Rosa is again, 



26 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

and how she tries me." The woman looked 
provoked, and Fritz spoke earnestly to his 
sister, but she would not yield. 

" I know/' she whispered, " if we sleep, 
they will carry grandmother away, as they 
did Frau Hanna\s husband, and then we 
will be left alone." 

" Listen, Rosa. You have often told me 
that you loved me," began Frau Hanna 
again ; " I have lived beside you for years, 
and have often helped your grandmother and 
been good to you. Is this the way you 
thank me for it ? Come, Rosa ; believe that 
I know what is best ; and if you love me, 
go quietly to rest." 

The child at last bent her head in token 
of obedience, and soon after the brother and 
sister slipped under the coverlet of their but 
scantily-provided beds. 

The neighbor sat with folded hands before 
the table, and murmured softlv to herself: 



MESSENGERS OF GOD. 2J 

" Death is a messenger of the Lord ; he 
comes for each one at his appointed time. 
The grandmother has often said this, and 
now it has proved true. But who will care 
for the desolate children? Will the Master 
send his messengers for them also ? Ach ! 
I believe the good old Frau has made me 
superstitious too." 

She ceased her soliloquy and glanced al- 
most timidly at the little window, which 
shook and rattled in the storm. She opened 
the Bible that lay upon the table and began 
to read, but the poor washerwoman had 
worked hard all day and was very tired. 
Fainter and fainter grew the whispered 
words ; her head fell forward on the book, 
and soon her loud regular breathing be- 
trayed that she was sound asleep. 

But the little Rosa slept not. With beat- 
ing heart, and eyes wide open she stared 
incessantly at her grandmother and at Frau 



28 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Hanna. Now she noiselessly left her bed, 
slipped into her dress and carried her little 
stool to the side of the sick woman. There 
she became more quiet. She tenderly clasped 
her grandmother's hand in both her own, and 
comforted herself with the consciousness that 
no one could carry her dear grandmother away. 
The tide of busy life still swept through 
the streets of the great city, in spite of the 
late hour and the driving snow ; a neighbor- 
ing clock sounded the last hour of the year; 
carriages rolled by, and merry voices rang 
out in ofttimes noisy greetings ; but the 
echoes of a happy human life touched not 
the attic-chamber: a mightier power stood 
outside this door. The icy night-wind passed 
over the roofs, whistling and howling, pene- 
trated the poorly-fastened window and threat- 
ened to extinguish the dim light, even as the 
passing hours must extinguish the almost im- 
perceptible spark of life in the sick woman. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE NEW YEAR. 

HOW changed was the world over- 
night! Blue and cloudless shone 
the heavens ; the air was still, and a foot 
high lay the dazzling white snow in the 
streets ; trees and bushes stood enveloped 
in a wonderfully beautiful starry covering 
as in silvery fairy-bloom. The sun was still 
concealed by the early morning mist, but a 
rosy shimmer gleamed through the filmy 
veil, softening the splendor of the enchanted 
world. 

Kommerzienrath Willmers took his cus- 
tomary morning walk, and as he quietly 
moved along, returning with friendly nod 
and smile the many respectful greetings that 

3* 29 



30 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

met him on every side, his cheeks reddened 
by the fresh air, his thick hair only slightly 
touched with gray, one would have guessed 
him to be a man yet in the prime of life ; but 
Herr Willmers was in reality a much older 
man. He had married late, having patiently 
waited until he could offer his wife a home 
of ease and luxury. To this end he had 
labored long and earnestly, for he had started 
in life almost penniless, and at first had not 
been very successful. Many difficulties beset 
his path, but a brave, true unfaltering spirit 
and a strong will had enabled him to sur- 
mount them all ; and now for some years he 
had rejoiced in an assured position and a 
happy domestic life. 

The greatest of all his riches to Herr 
Willmers were his children. To him there 
was nothing in the world more beautiful than 
the rosy, laughing faces of his little ones, no 
sweeter music than their merry voices, and 



THE NEW YEAR. 3 1 

the happiest hour of the day was that which 
once more brought him face to face with his 
beloved family group. Therefore the death 
of little Fritz, his youngest boy, had deeply 
grieved the tender father, and to-day, as on 
many another morning, he turned his steps 
toward the grave of his lost child. The 
solitude of the cemetery was unbroken ; the 
only sounds that penetrated its sacred silence 
were the distant city bells, and the pure 
white untrodden snow seemed a fit cover- 
ing for the loved and lost, and too fair for 
the footprints of man. 

Herr Willmers slowly stepped between the 
heavily-laden trees and stood with saddened 
face beside the little mound, raised only a 
few weeks before, over his sleeping child. 

" My darling child, farewell ! 
I would have bid thee stay 
When they bore thee away, 
'Neath sorrow's grievous spell, 



32 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Yet faith has come to-day, 
And now my heart can say, 
' Thou art with Christ. 
Farewell.' " 

The fragment of this song unconsciously 
passed his lips*, and tears filled his eyes. 

" Yet it was soon to leave us, my dear, 
dear Fritz !" murmured the father's heart. 

Loudly and clearly through the stillness 
rang " Fritz, Fritz ! Stay with me !" 

Herr Willmers started, and, turning around, 
perceived a little boy, who shyly approached 
him. When the child stood before him, he 
glanced up with frank, honest blue eyes 
— such eyes as his own lost Fritz had pos- 
sessed — and said gently, 

" Good-morning, Herr ; but you are not 
the — the gravedigger ?" 

" No ; surely not, my boy. Is your name 
' Fritz ' ? " 

"Yes, Herr; and here comes Rosa. She 



THE NEW YEAR. 33 

is frightened, and calls me if I go only a few 
steps away/' 

Herr Willmers seemed scarcely to hear 
what the child said. He observed with mo- 
mentary astonishment the clothing of the 
boy, and touched with his fingers the fur trim- 
ming on the coat and the warm winter cap. 

" Tell me, child : who has bought you 
this pretty coat and fur cap?" he asked, 
earnestly. 

Rosa at this moment came up to them and 
seized her brother's hand. 

" Truly, Herr, are they not wonderfully 
beautiful ?" said Fritz, confidentially. i€ No 
one has bought them/' he continued, in low- 
ered, mysterious tones, "for God's angels 
brought them to me while I slept, because 
we are so poor and I was half frozen with 
the cold. But they brought nothing for 
Rosa," he concluded, in a dissatisfied man- 
ner, looking sadly at his little sister. 



34 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Now for the first time Herr Willmers 
glanced at Rosa. The little girl's dress was 
thin and faded, and Frau Hanna had careful- 
ly tied over her head and shoulders the shab- 
by woollen shawl of the dead grandmother, 
out of which the pale childish face looked 
up with eyes unnaturally large from loss of 
sleep and reddened with weeping. 

The warm, child-loving heart of the rich 
man was deeply moved, and his interest 
aroused in the little ones as Rosa said 
quickly, with a sob, 

" I- need nothing; the angels will take me 
to grandmother. She is in heaven, and I 
would go to her." 

Tears rolled again over her face, and she 
wept aloud ; nor could all her brother's con- 
soling words and caresses quiet her. At 
last Fritz too began to cry. 

" You say, my boy, that God's angels have 
cared for you while you slept ; can you not 



THE NEW YEAR. 35 

still further trust in God ? And will not 
Rosa also trust?" said Herr Willmers* 
" Surely, little ones, he helps us all and 
listens to our prayers." 

" Is your grandmother dead too?" asked 
Rosa, drying her eyes. "And has God 
given you another?" 

The Kommerzienrath answered not ; earn- 
estly and thoughtfully he looked on the lit- 
tle mound at his feet. Then, with sudden 
resolution, he took a hand of each of the 
children and walked with them as he lis- 
tened to their story. He accompanied them 
to the house in which they lived, mounted the 
four steep flights ' of stairs and stood with 
them beside the bed of the grandmother, 
who lay, silent for evermore, in the cold, 
poor little room, and yet who at this mo- 
ment spoke with impressive power to the 
heart of this compassionate man. 

"Ach, Herr!" uttered Fritz, complaining- 



36 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

ly ; " grandmother has always said God 
would help at the right time, and would 
send his messengers to all the poor ; and 
yesterday I thought she was right. But of 
what use now are the beautiful clothes? I 
am still more unhappy than yesterday, and 
I can go out to earn nothing more ; for 
who will stay with Rosa?" 

" I will go with you, Fritz," sighed the 
little girl. " Grandmother has often told 
me we must not weep when she went to 
heaven, but I know I can never cease weep- 
ing — never, never more;" and again the child 
sobbed in a perfect passion of grief. 

Frau Hanna had come in, and now won- 
deringly looked at the early and distin- 
guished visitor; but her astonishment grew 
still greater, for she had scarcely begun her 
story of the sad life of the grandmother 
and the destitution of the children when 
Herr Willmers cut her short with the dec- 



THE NEW YEAR. 37 

laration that he would take the children 
to his house and care for them. 

With a relieved expression, Frau Hanna 
clasped her hands in joyous excitement as 
she exclaimed, 

"Is such good-fortune, then, possible? 
We have lived here side by side for years, 
and the little ones have grown into my heart ; 
and if I were not so poor myself, I would 
have already bidden them stay with old 
Hanna. But it must be that the blessed 
grandmother was right, and from this hour 
I will believe in her words : God forsakes 
not those who trust in him. Dear pious 
heart! you can rest in peace," she continued, 
and her eyes filled with tears as she drew 
near the bed, " for the dear God has indeed 
cared for your darlings. " 

Fritz and Rosa stared with great eyes at 
Herr Willmers, but said nothing. They did 
not know how they descended the four flights 



38 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

of steps, and as in a troubled dream, a hand 
of each once more in one of the good man's, 
they walked through the city streets, entered 
the vestibule of a large and beautiful house, 
mounted a wide staircase, and found them- 
selves in an apartment furnished in what 
seemed to them fairylike magnificence. 

Herr Willmers took off his cap and with 
gentle hands removed the shawl from Rosa's 
head and shoulders. 

"Now, dear children, here shall your home 
be," he said, with a kindly smile. "The 
loving mother whom God has given you 
to-day already waits with the morning cof- 
fee. Come." 

Rosa half unconsciously passed her little 
cold fingers over her brother's hair and her 
own, then shyly and confused they followed 
the master of the house. 

But with no less amazement than that of 
the children who unannounced entered the 



THE NEW YEAR. 39 

inviting breakfast-room stared the members 
of the family group at their unexpected 
appearance; the father was not, as usual, 
greeted by the joyful " Good-morning " of 
his children, and even Frau Willmers looked 
with mute surprise at the little strangers. 

" Good-morning, my loved ones ! God 
give us a blessed new year !" cried the Kom- 
merzienrath, in a hearty voice ; and, recover- 
ing from their unaccustomed silence, the 
children hastened to their father and kissed 
and embraced him, while the tardy morning 
greeting, with New-Year wishes, flowed im- 
petuously from their lips. 

"The new year begins by adding to our 
riches, ,, said the father, in moved tones, as 
he led Fritz and Rosa to the mother. — " It 
brings thee two children, dear mother-heart, 
to share the abundance of your love, for they 
have no one in the wide world to care for 
them. Fritz sends them to thee ; at his 



40 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

grave I found them. The little fellow here 
is called ' Fritz/ and this is his sister Rosa ; 
so — Well, give the children some hot cof- 
fee, Margareth. Is our mother satisfied with 
her New- Year present ?" continued Herr 
Willmers, softly, earnestly looking into the 
gentle eyes of his wife, now veiled by tears. 

" You good man ! You well know how 
gladly I will receive them ; but in this asso- 
ciation — It is a great responsibility and 
worthy of consideration. Has not your warm 
heart decided impulsively ? Will it be well 
for our own children?*' 

"Yes, I hope so. They have good, un- 
spoiled childish hearts ; and if they are left to 
fall into misery and sin, for that would I be 
responsible. God led them to me : how could 
I turn away from them ?" 

" No, no ! not that ; but care for them in a 
different manner: place them in a good home 
and have them educated, or — " 



THE NEW YEAR. 4 1 

" Little mother/' laughingly interrupted 
the Kommerzienrath, " I have often said 
that you were unlike many women who only 
come to a wise decision after much argument. 
Am I mistaken ? Will not my wife herself 
bravely undertake the important duty that 
I might pay others to perform without know- 
ing whether it was well fulfilled ?" 

" Yes, you are right," earnestly replied 
Frau Willmers ; " I will have five children 
instead of our three. Pardon my hesitation, 
and be assured, dear husband, that I will 
love and care for them even as for my own." 

Herr Willmers kissed the lips whose smile 
gave evidence to the sincerity of the words : 

" I thank thee, my Marie ; I am truly a 
happy man, and richly blessed." 

Meanwhile, Margareth had cared for the 
children, who, having eaten but little for two 
days, did ample justice to their breakfast. 
Fritz soon lost his shyness before the mer- 

4* 



42 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

ry chatter and questions of the children, but 
Rosa, who had seldom left her grandmother's 
attic-chamber, held fast her brother's hand, 
and, timorous as a young roe that for the 
first time leaves the protecting forest thicket 
and fearfully looks over the wide plain, 
glanced around the spacious apartment and 
into the strange faces, which resembled 
neither her grandmother's nor yet Frau 
Hanna's. 

Suddenly the brother and sisters put their 
heads together in eager whispering, ' 

" Did you also recognize it?" asked Elsie, 
in great excitement, of her older sister. 
u How could I help knowing our Fritz's 
coat ?" 

"And how well it fits him !" whispered 
Hubert. " But how strange it all is !" 

" Not strange at all," explained Elsie. 
" We said so much yesterday to our father 
of the poor boy, and he recognized Fritz's 



THE NEW YEAR. 43 

clothes also. He too knew how glad we 
would be if he brought him to us. And the 
pretty little sister ! I would rather have her 
than all my dolls." 

"Yes, but, Chatterbox, two children more!" 
said Margareth, thoughtfully. " I wonder 
where they will sleep? and I must find a 
place for their things." 

"But, Margareth,'' whispered Elschen, mis- 
cheivously, "have the children 'things'? Do 
you know later we will dress up the little 
girl? for she cannot remain as she now is, 
and it is New Year to-day." 

" Yes, and it is high time that we prepare 
ourselves for church," reminded Hubert. 
" Truly, I would like to stay at home to-day 
and show Fritz my fortress, but — " 

"No, no! you must not think of that; 
mother will not allow it," said Margareth, 
decidedly. "We must all go to church; 
Susanne will care for the children." 



44 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

And Susanne, the faithful old nurse, so 
well performed her duty that Frau Willmers 
and the children, on their return from church, 
scarcely recognized the little ones ; and so 
delicate and pretty appeared Rosa in a little 
frock outgrown by Elsie, and made to fit by 
slight alteration at the hands of the good 
Susanne, that Elsie joyfully danced around 
her, overwhelming her with kisses and em- 
braces. 

" It will be too delightful if we can always 
play together," she chattered, happily. "Will 
it not, dear Rosa? For, you see, Margareth 
has her lessons and many other things to do, 
and cannot often play with me ; for she is 
four years older. Do you know to-day is 
the great court-ball with my dolls ? The 
Princess will be there, and we shall have ices 
and cakes. Shall I show you the Princess 
and her court-ladies ?" 

Rosa sadly shook her head : 



THE NEW YEAR. 45 

" I would rather go to grandmother," she 
begged, shyly. 

" Yes, Rosa ; mother says we may all 
some day go where your grandmother has 
gone, but not now. You have only just 
come, little Rosa, and I will show you my 
dolls and their beautiful house. Come !" and 
Elsie drew her into the large playroom, which 
contained many beautiful things for the 
amusement and instruction of the children, 
while not far off two pretty little apartments 
were furnished as bedrooms for Hubert and 
his sisters. 

The other children followed Elsie and 
Rosa, and now Margareth and Hubert 
brought out their favorite games and treas- 
ures to entertain the little strangers. 

Poor Rosa was so overpowered by all that 
had happened to-day that she could only 
passively follow Elsie's directions; she 
looked at toys and books and listened with 



46 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

a confused and troubled expression to the 
animated talk of the lively child. She 
glanced ever longingly toward Fritz, and 
breathed more freely when Frau Willmers 
appeared and beckoned her children away, 
to leave the new comers to themselves, 
and herself arranged a table at which they 
might sit and look at the books and the 
pictures if they wished. 

The brother and the sisters obediently 
followed their mother, and Fritz and Rosa 
remained alone. 

"Ach, Fritz !" said Rosa, pressing close 
to her brother; " I wish we could go home. 
It is so strange here '!" 

" ' Home ' ?" repeated Fritz. " How you 
talk, Rosa ! Do you not know that the 
landlord would not let us stay there any 
longer, because we could not pay the rent ? 
He said we must go at New Year, and to- 
day is New Year." 



THE NEW YEAR. 47 

"Ach, yes! And grandmother is dead, 
and I want to die too. It is so sad without 
her !" softly uttered Rosa. 

Fritz put his arm tenderly around her. 

" But think, Rosa, how good they are to 
us here ! We ought to be happy." 

The child shook her head. 

" Yes, we must be happy/' continued the 
two-years-older brother. " If you had run 
about as I have, up and down steps, hungry 
and cold, in my old shabby clothes, then you 
might be glad that you need not do it any 
more. You too have been hungry and cold 
often enough, and afraid when grandmother 
slept and you were alone. Have you not, 
Rosa?" 

" Yes ! Ach, yes !" assented Rosa. 

" Well, do you not see that now we will 
no longer be hungry and cold ? and grand- 
mother is in heaven and is happy also. Are 
we not truly fortunate? and should we not 



48 WHERE IS HEAVEN j> 

right beautifully thank the dear God for 
it?" 

Rosa had ceased weeping, and listened to 
him attentively. 

"Yes, Fritz/ 1 she said, earnestly; "let us 
do it now. Grandmother has often said that 
she would be happy in heaven if we contin- 
ued good children." 

And when Frau Willmers lightly pushed 
aside the curtains of the glass door and 
looked into the children's room, she saw 
two little figures kneeling with bowed heads 
and folded hands. She clasped her own 
hands, and her lips moved in a murmured 
prayer that God would give her strength 
faithfully to fulfil the duty she had under- 
taken. 

After dinner the family went out for a 
walk, but Elsie begged permission to re- 
main at home with the new little sister, who 
looked so pale and sad that the mother con- 



THE NEW YEAR. 49 

sented, hoping that rest and sleep would 
bring forgetfulness to the sorrowing child. 

Truly, the company of the lively Elsie — 
known in the family circle as " Chatterbox " 
— was not exactly soothing in its effect, but 
Susanne had promised that Rosa should have 
not only amusement, but also quiet; and 
when Susanne gave a promise, you might 
be sure that she would keep her word. So 
Rosa lay on a comfortable couch in the 
cosy little sleeping-room of the sisters, 
and Elsie sat on a stool beside her and 
talked of the good times that would come 
with the evening. On every New Year's 
evening Aunt Seraphine and Aunt Theo- 
dolinde came to supper, and they played 
games, and — In the midst of Elsie's live- 
liest chatter Susanne put her head in at the 
door and whispered, M Elschen, I have a 
beautiful red ribbon which I think you will 
want for the Princess, and some spangles for 

5 D 



50 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

the crown ;" and in a flash Elsie was out 
through the door after Susanne, and for the 
next half hour engaged in zealous prepara- 
tion for the court-ball. 

Rosa's heart beat quickly when she found 
herself quite alone, but the sleepless night, 
the long walk in the morning air, the pain 
and the excitement had so exhausted her 
little strength that in a few minutes her 
eyes closed; and when Elsie again slipped 
in, she dared not continue her interrupted 
plans, for she found Rosa sweetly sleeping. 

When it grew dark, Jacob — who, like 
Susanne, was an old and devoted servant in 
the Willmers family — lighted not only the 
lamps and the side-candelabra, but also the 
great chandeliers in the parlors and the din- 
ing-room. Margareth, like a true little house- 
wife, observantly wandered from one room to 
another, moving here a vase, there a pretty 
book, to better advantage, dusting— as Elsie 



THE NEW YEAR. 5 I 

declared, for the tenth time — the speckless 
furniture, and stooping to pick an almost 
invisible thread or an imaginary crumb, of 
both of which she had a horror, from the 
clean carpet, and became at last quite impa- 
tient with Hubert, who had already twice 
softly untied the strings of her long white 
apron, until it slipped down and she almost 
tripped over it. 

Now all the festive preparations for the New 
Year evening were ended. The parents sat in 
happy companionship at the cosy tea-table; 
the children were in the playroom, an in- 
terested audience to the play of Cinderella, 
announced for this evening, to be performed 
by the dolls under the management of Hubert. 
The bell rang. 

Elsie looked over the banister in the hall 
and reported : 

" Yes, they have come : it is Aunt Theodo- 
linde and Aunt Seraphine. ,, 



52 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

"We will go in and greet them later," said 
Hubert; "now we must stay here. The 
stage is prepared, the lights are burning and 
the play will begin immediately ;" and as the 
curtain of the mimic theatre rolled up, the 
little paper actors, guided by Hubert's skil- 
ful fingers, moved across the stage like living 
figures, and the children now laughed, now 
almost wept, at the different positions assumed 
and the conversation carried on by Hubert's 
voice, modulated to suit the various charac- 
ters. Even Rosa's sad face brightened, and 
she breathlessly listened to the beautiful 
story of Cinderella, the unfortunate step- 
child, who at times seemed even as sor- 
rowful and forlorn as herself. 

Meanwhile, an animated discussion was 
progressing in the parlor. 

Fraulein Theodolinde and Seraphine von 
Ebendorf were early friends of Frau Will- 
mers, who had proved a true benefactress to 



THE NEW YEAR. 53 

them in the many and varied fortunes that 
had come to them. Daughters of a wealthy- 
landholder, they had been educated in luxu- 
rious habits only later to find themselves 
impoverished by a succession of misfortunes. 
Haughty and unbending, the maidens held 
little attraction for wooers; and now they 
lived on the interest of a small capital saved 
from the wreck of their property, which with 
great economy proved barely sufficient for 
their support. They had become so em- 
bittered by their unfortunate circumstances 
that they looked upon life and all connected 
with it with the gloomiest views. 

Fraulein Theodolinde was short and stout ; 
her large dark eyes, overshadowed by heavy 
brows, gave a severe expression to her 
countenance. The younger sister, slender, 
with pale delicate face framed in light-brown 
hair thickly sprinkled with gray, might have 
been called pretty had her blue eyes held 

5* 



54 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

more sunshine in their depths. An observant 
spectator might read the discontent and the 
unhappiness of both sisters in their faces. 

In former years Herr Willmers had laugh- 
ingly asked his wife why she had chosen to 
invite these friends always on New Year's 
Day. 

" Because I like to begin the new year by 
doing good," she had replied. "And it is 
well for them to look into our happy home 
and for a few hours forget their ceaseless 
complaints. Besides," she whispered in his 
ear, with a smile, " they enjoy the accustomed 
luxuries for whose loss they daily grieve." 

Since then the Kommerzienrath had him- 
self befriended them in many ways, and as 
surely as New Year's Day returned Fraulein 
Theodolinde and Fraulein Seraphine found 
themselves at the supper-hour in the joyous 
atmosphere of the Willmers family. 

Herr Willmers sat now in serene content 



THE NEW YEAR. 55 

beside his wife and gave the ladies an ac- 
count of his morning's experience, which 
had so unexpectedly enriched the little 
world in the nursery. 

" Oh, my dear Kommerzienrath," ex- 
claimed Fraulein Theodolinde, in great 
commiseration, " what a burden you have 
taken upon yourself!" 

u Beggar-children !" cried the tender Sera- 
phine, throwing out her hands in horror. 
"A fearful experience is before you, dear 
Marie ; I shudder at the thought of the two 
neglected, ragged children coming in contact 
with your own little ones." 

" You are mistaken," calmly corrected 
Frau Marie ; " they are pretty, bright chil- 
dren, well brought up and apparently not 
used to rough surroundings." 

" But they will never thank you for your 
kindness — never!" declared Fraulein Theo- 
dolinde, who had a remarkable talent for 



$6 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

looking at life through dark spectacles, and 
who every year prophesied famines, wars or 
revolutions, began each day with the firm 
conviction that some frightful misfortune 
would happen before night, and perceived 
in each unfavorable omen the hopelessness 
of an inevitable and deadly sorrow, thus 
startling her younger, and perhaps too sen- 
sitive, sister into one fright after another. 
" Do you know, my dear Kommerzienrath, 
what your experience with these children 
will be?" 

" Well ?" smilingly inquired Herr Will- 
mers. 

" I can quite plainly picture it to you : 
The boy will prove a ne'er-do-well, and 
will lie too and deceive you ; the girl will be 
self-willed and idle, and will run away if 
she is compelled to obey and work. Oh, I 
know humanity ! Believe me, I am never 
mistaken." 



THE NEW YEAR. 57 

The lips of the Kommerzienrath curled 
with an expression half angry, half mock- 
ing, and he questioningly glanced into the 
wise eyes of his wife, who also could hard- 
ly conceal a somewhat mischievous smile, 
but who serenely answered : 

" No one is quite infallible, dear Theodo- 
linde • I hope they will not turn out so bad- 
ly as that." 

"Yes, indeed, my love — quite as badly, 
and perhaps worse. Have you never heard 
of ingrates who have poisoned or murdered 
their benefactors?" 

"Oh, horrible! horrible!" sighed Sera- 
phine. 

Herr Willmers could not restrain a laugh : 

" Were my wife and I not so courageous, 
we might truly be alarmed at the prospect 
before us ; but we have no misgivings. We 
will begin the new year with joyous hopes, 
not with fears." 



58 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

"Alas ! already to us to-day has come the 
misfortune that we have dreaded : the house 
is sold, and we must move/' 

" That is no misfortune/* returned Herr 
Willmers, cheerfully; " there are still many 
good dwellings." 

" But the separation !" sighed Seraphine ; 
" only a woman's heart knows what that is. 
Oh how painful is every parting ! and how 
often already have I struggled and wept 
over bitter farewells !" 

" But not to four empty walls," said Frau 
Marie ; " and you have often complained that 
the house was damp and gloomy." 

" Yes, that is true ; and I am sure that 
this is the reason I have suffered so with 
rheumatism in all my joints. My limbs 
ache now, and I can plainly see that I shall 
soon become a chronic invalid and confined 
to my bed." 

" I shall die of anxiety," moaned the 



THE NEW YEAR. 59 

younger sister. " Theodolinde is right : we 
are doomed to misfortune." 

" No, she is not right," said Frau Marie, 
earnestly; "there are many harder trials 
than yours, for you are both still in health 
and have each other to love and live for. 
And, besides, the privilege of loving and 
living for others — that alone is a happiness 
for which we should daily thank our Creator. 
How, then, can you be so despondent? A 
single day — yes, a single moment — may 
bring new happiness into your life.'' 

" That could happen only by a mifacle, and 
I do not believe in miracles," uttered Theodo- 
linde, with a bitter laugh. 

The Kommerzienrathin looked thoughtful. 

" I do not believe in so-called miracles," 
she said, gravely; "but I have already seen — 
many times in my life — that God finds ways 
and means to help us when we least expect 
it. Now, to-day, for instance. Is it not 



60 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

really wonderful how he has just led those 
poor desolate children to us? Is it not a 
plain command from him : 4 Take in the 
friendless ones ' ? My dear friends, you so 
often complain of your fate and grieve that 
you are poor and alone : cannot the Master 
also hold in reserve for you some unexpected 
good-fortune? and will he not at the right 
time find messengers to send even to you ? 
Trust him still with patient hearts." 

Seraphine's eyes had filled with tears and 
an almost hopeful expression had brightened 
her face at the earnest words of their friend, 
but the elder sister — she was generally harsh 
and abrupt in speech, although not really bad 
at heart — said vehemently, 

"Send his messengers? To us, who for 
years have vainly hoped for some improve- 
ment in our prospects ? I almost envy you 
your childish faith. Who, then, are the mes- 
sengers of the Lord ?" 



THE NEW YEAR. 6 1 

" Who ?" eagerly replied Frau Marie. 
"Every true-hearted human being; each one 
who comprehends that his life is for the glory 
of God and the good of his fellow-men ; for 
it is a privilege to help others both by words 
and by works, and a well-spring of happiness 
to all who thus draw near enough to the 
Master to understand his call." 

" Yes, dear sister ; let us rise above our 
discontent," ventured Seraphine, contrary to 
her usual custom of only echoing her older 
sister's words and thoughts. " Let us hope 
that roses will bloom for us also, and some- 
thing better than thorns be found in our path." 

"Yes, hope! Hoping and waiting have de- 
ceived many," laughed Theodolinde. " Still, 
if you enjoy it, hope on." 

" Now let us have the party from the 
playroom," suggested Herr Willmers. 

Frau Marie rang a bell, and presently the 
merry little group appeared. 



62 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Elsie impulsively embraced the two aunts; 
they amused her and belonged to the good 
supper and the New- Year entertainment. 
Aunt Theodolinde related so many horrible 
stones, and Aunt Seraphine knew pretty 
verses and conundrums ; so that she was 
always glad to remain in the parlor when 
they were there. Margareth and Hubert 
also greeted their guests as old friends. 

The visitors looked curiously at Fritz and 
Rosa, who stood at the door in embarrassment, 
until the Kommerzienrath, taking them by 
the hand, led them into the room. Fritz 
bowed in a manly way, as though he had 
often been thrown with strangers, but Rosa 
timidly glanced at the two strange faces, 
whose sharp, penetrating eyes examined her 
with no friendly expression ; and when Theo- 
dolinde said in her harsh tones, " So these 
are the two poor worms ? Well, give me 
your hand, child/' Rosa, with a troubled face, 



THE NEW YEAR. 63 

put both hands under her apron and said 
softly but decidedly, 

" No, I will not" 

Fraulein Seraphine repeated in angry 
astonishment : 

" She will not ! What manners !" 

But Theodolinde triumphantly looked up, 
as a dark flush colored her face. 

" Rosa, be a good child/' said Herr Will- 
mers, gravely, " and give the lady your 
hand." 

Rosa stood trembling, but with hands 
tightly clasped, and began to sob violently as 
Frau Marie tried to compel her to obedience. 

"Ach, Rosa, Rosa!'' now cried Fritz; 
" how obstinate you still are ! Do it if you 
love me, Rosa, and — " 

■■ The idea of talking of love to the little 
ingrate!" exclaimed Fraulein Theodolinde, 
scornfully. — " Do you know what they should 
do to you, you little savage ? They should 



64 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

whip you soundly and put you in the dark 
cellar, and — " 

" Hush ! oh hush !" begged Frau Marie, 
taking the child, who as one turned to stone 
gazed with a terrified expression into the 
flashing eyes of Theodolinde, in her arms. 
"Rosa is naughty only because she is shy. 
She will think better and be my good obe- 
dient little girl. — Will you not, Rosa?" 

But Rosa only burst into more violent 
weeping and threw her arms about the neck 
of the kind Frau, who bore her into the 
children's room and when she became quiet 
talked gravely and gently to her a short time, 
then asked, 

" Will Rosa now come with me and give 
her hand to the lady?" 

" No ! ach, no !" persisted the child. 

Frau Marie looked disappointed. 

" Well, then, you must stay lure until you 
are good," she said, quietly ; " but if you 



THE NEW YEAR. * 65 

continue naughty, then I must punish you. 
Think of it, and when I come again let me 
find my little girl willing to do as I wish." 
She left the room and returned to her 
guests. 

Rosa stood still sobbing where the Kom- 
merzienrathin had placed her. She mur- 
mured, " I will go home ; I will find grand- 
mother;" then, "Fritz, Fritz! I will not 
stay here !" But Fritz came not, because 
he dared not; and so minute after minute 
passed by, and she remained alone with her 
grief and her tears. At last she ceased 
crying and began anxiously to look about 
her. What had that wicked Frau who had 
looked so cross and frightened her so said ? 
That they would whip her and put her in 
a dark cellar? And the good kind Frau, 
too, had said, " I must punish you." 

Rosa trembled, and her little heart storm- 

ily beat against her breast; she began to 
6* E 



66 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

weep again: "I will go td grandmother; 
she never whips me or puts me in a dark 
cellar." But a new thought startled her : 
" Where is grandmother ? Is she not dead ? 
Is she not in heaven ? Who — ach ! who— 
will take me to her?" Who? The mes- 
sengers of the Lord. Did they not help 
Fritz yesterday ? They must to-day hear 
her prayers and sobs ; they must pity her. 
She knelt down and amid her tears sent up 
her petition. But no one appeared. Yes ; 
listen : a chair is moved in the next room. 

" Now comes the wicked woman to put 
me in the cellar!" This thought flashed 
through the head of the excited, frightened 
child, and she sprang up, ran through the 
half-open door into the hall, down the stairs 
and, without pausing, out into the cold 
street. 

The city was brilliantly illuminated, and the 
little maiden ran so quickly that she scarce- 



THE NEW YEAR. 6*J 

ly felt the icy evening air. Great drops of 
perspiration stood on her forehead, and her 
hair lay in moist rings against her glowing 
face, when, completely exhausted, she stood 
still and, yet trembling, anxiously looked 
around her. Right and left long light 
streets stretched away into indefinite dis- 
tance, but before her lay a wide snow-cov- 
ered plain dotted by trees and shrubs. 

Little Rosa considered several moments, 
then eagerly started forward. Over the trees 
gleamed the silver crescent of the moon; 
stars shone in the clear sky, which at the 
edge of the plain seemed to touch the earth. 
Surely this must be the right way to the 
grandmother? On and on she ran, as if 
fearing pursuit; and her little heart beat in 
deadly terror in the loneliness of the night. 
Suddenly the tired feet stumbled against a 
stone concealed by the snow ; the child fell 
heavily forward and lay unconscious. 



68 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

The noise which had so frightened Rosa 
as she knelt in the children's room was only 
the moving of a chair by one of the children 
in preparation for a universal game of " Lot- 
tery." But the children did not enjoy their 
games to-night with the usual zest. They 
would all much rather have gone to Rosa, 
especially Elsie, who was quite in love with 
the pretty little sister; but when she in- 
quiringly looked at her mother, Frau Marie 
would gently shake her head. Even the im- 
ploring glances of little Fritz received the 
same answer. 

When, after some time, Frau Marie arose 
and walked to the children's room, Rosa had 
disappeared ; not a single trace of her could 
be found in the whole house. Great excite- 
ment prevailed, and it was only in obedience 
to the strict orders of the Kommerzienrath 
that Fritz refrained from rushing out into the 
street in search of his sjster. 



THE NEW YEAR. 69 

Messengers were sent in every direction, 
but all returned without news of Rosa. Vain 
was every effort to discover her whereabouts: 
she was neither with Frau Hanna nor in the 
streets of the city. 

Never had a New- Year's Day in the house 
of the Kommerzienrath closed on a more 
unquiet family. The merry games of the 
children were suspended, and Elsie sat, with 
tears in her eyes, whispering her troubles to 
the court-ladies in her doll-house; they must 
postpone the ball, of course, until Rosa 
should be with them again. And the Prin- 
cess, with her diadem of silver stars and her 
crimson sash, sat up on the sofa as stiffly as 
though she were deprived of her rights and 
disapproved of the whole proceeding. 

The children sadly went to bed, and the 
parents sat up until late, wondering with 
troubled hearts as to the fate of their 
protegee. 



JO WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

When the carriage of the Kommerzienrath 
had conveyed Frauleins Theodolinde and 
Seraphine to their home and they had retired 
to their little bedroom, the elder sister ob- 
served almost triumphantly, 

"Am I not always right, Sera? Such a 
little monkey will cause the good Willmers 
nothing but anxiety and trouble. Such a 
lovely supper almost wasted ! Oh yes, I 
know human beings ; I know how bad they 
all are." 

" Dreadful ! dreadful !" sounded Sera's 
sympathetic tones. " I have wrestled and 
struggled with my feelings the whole even- 
ing, for it seemed as though I must go out 
into the street myself and — " 

"That were wise indeed! In this cold 
weather! You would be in bed to-morrow 
with nervous fever, and we are unfortunate 
enough. Oh what a year this will be, that 
has so begun ! Unheard-of evils will over- 



THE NEW YEAR. J I 

take us. I am filled with the most gloomy 
forebodings." 

" Dear sister, let us go to rest," begged 
Seraphine ; " it is almost midnight/' 

But after the sisters were in bed and the 
light extinguished, once more sounded Theo- 
dolinde's voice : 

" Tell me honestly, Sera : was I too harsh 
in my manner toward the little crab ? Is 
the whole trouble really my fault ?" 

"Your fault? You did not mean ill, 
Linda," faintly returned the younger sister. 

u No, surely not ; but I have such frightful 
palpitation of the heart, and I have always 
said I would die of iieart-disease." 

" My heart beats quickly too, Linda. 
Ach ! Let us quietly go to sleep, I pray. 
We have wrestled and struggled so long ! 
Perhaps God will yet send us some better 
days." 

"Never, never!" uttered Theodolinde, de- 



J2 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

cidedly. "And how many tears this convic- 
tion has already cost me ! You may well 
believe my eyes grow weaker every day. 
Yes, I know it is ordained that I shall have 
a cataract next; then I will sit helpless in 
my chair from morning until night, and you 
will have a blind sister added to your mis- 
fortunes." 

" Dreadful ! dreadful !" sighed Seraphine. 
"But now good-night !" 



CHAPTER III. 

IN HEAVEN. 

THE moon shone brightly; stars spark- 
led in the heavens, and the wide plain, 
bounded neither by forest nor by mountain, 
seemed an endless, motionless snowy sea. 
The restless life and noise of the great city 
scarcely penetrated its calm ; only the shrill 
whistle of a distant locomotive now and then 
interrupted the deep stillness. A railroad 
must be near. 

The clear music of bells suddenly sound- 
ed through the evening stillness, and a sleigh 
rapidly glided over the snow-covered plain. 

" Herr, some one lies here in the road/' 
cried the coachman, hastily pulling back 

7 73 



74 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

his horses. " It is a child, and must be 
quite frozen. " 

But almost as quickly as the accustomed 
coachman had, a feminine figure wrapped 
in warm furs sprung to the spot, touched the 
little form lying in the snow, lifted it and re- 
turned to the sleigh bearing it in her arms. 

" Ach, Herr Baron ! See ! it is a little girl 
cold and stiff as though dead, but the fore- 
head bleeds and the heart beats still. We 
must take her with us to the railway-station ; 
there we may procure help." 

" Quite right, Sabine. But let us now go 
on quickly; there is barely time/' returned 
a deep bass voice. 

The lady pressed the child to her bosom 
tenderly as a mother, and swiftly the sleigh 
glided on its way as she chafed the be- 
numbed limbs, that began to show signs of 
life before the station was reached. 

In the warm room, Frau Sabine laid the 



IN HEAVEN. 75 

child on a sofa and covered her with soft 
robes ; and when the baron — who meanwhile 
had gone to make the necessary arrangements 
for the continuation of his journey — again 
entered, the little one had already opened 
her eyes and gazed with troubled glances 
into the face of Frau Sabine, who bent over 
her. 

It was an old face full of furrows and lines, 
but love and goodness beamed from the gen- 
tle eyes, love and goodness spoke in each 
wrinkle of the smiling countenance; and 
after the child had searchingly looked at 
the old Frau for several minutes, she sud- 
denly put both arms about her neck and 
shyly whispered, 

" Do you look so now, grandmother? 
Ach ! how I have wanted you!" 

" Do you want your grandmother, child ?" 
asked Frau Sabine, with sympathy. 

" Yes— ach, yes !" 



j6 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

" Where does she live ?" 

" In heaven/' said the little girl ; and, sit- 
ting up, she anxiously looked around. "Am 
I not with her? Where am I, then?" 

Sabine turned in perplexity to the baron, 
who stood beside her. He glanced at his 
watch, then asked quickly, 

" Have you parents, child ?" 

" No," said Rosa, in a troubled tone. 

"You live, then, with your grandmother?" 

" Yes — no. Grandmother is dead, and I 
would die too." 

"Ach ! ach ! ,! cried Frau Sabine ;. and she 
stroked Rosa's feverish cheek. "The child 
is sick; she seems quite friendless. Wants 
to die and go to heaven ! What can I say 
to her ? Poor lamb ! I pity her." 

The baron hastily went out. The bell 
rang for the passengers to take their 
places. 

" Be quiet, my lamb ; be quiet," said the 



IN HEAVEN. JJ 

old Frau, soothingly. "We will all go to 
heaven when it pleases God." 

The child looked up dreamily, and Frau 
Sabine anxiously waited for the return of 
the baron. She knew well, through long 
years' acquaintance with his generous heart, 
that he would not leave the waif uncared 
for; but how? 

Quickly the baron re-entered : 
u Have you a thick shawl for the child ?" 
" Yes, baron ;" and instantly from the 
depths of the great travelling-satchel appeared 
the desired article. " We take — " 

" Yes, we will take her with us. The 
officers here have no time to make inquiries 
or to assume charge of her ; we cannot leave 
her here uncared for. So forward ! But 
perhaps she will overburden you, dear Sabine? 
How say you ?" 

" God forbid ! My heart is only too glad 
to take the burden." 

7* 



78 WHERE IS HEAVEN ? 

" Well, then, let us move on." 

Again sounded the warning bell. The 
remaining passengers crowded toward the 
open door, and soon our three travellers 
leaned back against the comfortable cush- 
ions of their carriage, and the train sped 
away through the dark night toward a 
distant country. 

As often as Rosa opened her heavy eyes 
and met the gentle smile of Frau Sabine or 
the light of the stars glimmering through 
the carriage window, a new peace spread 
over her troubled little heart, the rosy lips 
smiled happily, and she murmured to herself 
the words of Frau Sabine : " We will all go 
to heaven when it pleases God." 

The funeral of the grandmother was over, 
and all search after little Rosa still remained 
fruitless. The children sat toward evening 
together in the playroom, and Fritz's eyes 



IN HEAVEN. 79 

were red from much weeping ; but his tears 
had fallen more for the loss of his sister than 
for his dead grandmother. 

" I know how I can see Rosa again/' he 
said, at last, drying his eyes, " if I may only 
go away alone to a quiet place where no one 
can see me/' 

"And of what use would that be?" asked 
Margareth. " What would you do then ?" 

" I know," said the boy, softly and mys- 
teriously. 

" Can you not tell us ?" asked the curious 
little Elsie. 

Fritz nodded : 

" I would look for the messengers of the 
Lord ; if I pray and beg, they will bring 
Rosa back to me. Do you know I did so 
once when I was almost frozen one very cold 
day? Then I fell asleep, and before I 
awakened God had sent his angels to me 
with warm clothes — yes, this coat which I 



80 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

have on, and all my beautiful things. Ach ! 
how happy I was that day !" 

The sisters looked at each other and made 
no reply. But Elsie could never remain 
silent long ; so she was the first to cry out : 

"But, Fritz, how can you think that? Did 
you see the angels ?" 

" No, Elschen, for I was asleep." 

" Shall I tell you how they appeared ?" 
asked Elsie, starting up. 

Fritz eagerly looked at her. 

" Have you, then, seen them ?" he uttered, 
incredulously. " Had they golden wings ?" 

" Listen, Fritz," said Margareth, in her 
thoughtful way. * Mother has said that we 
might at a suitable time tell you how your 
things came to you, and now I will." 

"Ach, my Gretel ! I pray you let me tell 
it," implored Elsie. 

" Well, tell it, if you wish," agreed Marga- 
reth ; and Elsie impulsively narrated the 



IN HEAVEN. 8 1 

story of the poor boy whom they had found 
sleeping in the lower hall, and how she and 
her brother and sister had filled his empty 
sack with the clothing that had been worn 
by their own dead brother. 

"And now you know, Fritz," she concluded, 
laughingly, " that it was not the ai*gels, but 
only Margareth, Hubert and I. You must 
not believe that the angels will come to you 
here, for mother says the angels are never 
seen on earth." 

But Fritz was not convinced. He shook 
his head and said thoughtfully, 

" But grandmother told us we must trust 
in God, for he would send his messengers — " 

" Yes, Fritz," interrupted Margareth ; " she 
may have said that, but she meant that he 
would hear our prayers and help us. But 
our mother says we must not believe that 
angels will come from heaven. She says all 
human beings may become God's messengers 



82 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

if they will only obey his commands. If we 
see any one who is very poor or sick or in 
trouble, we know it is God's will for us to 
help; and we should all aid one another 
whenever we can. That evening you lay 
asleep on the floor looking so pale and tired 
we felt very sorry for you and asked our 
mother for warm clothes for you, and she 
gave them to us. Do you believe it now ?" 

" Do you still remember what was in the 
sack ? Shall I tell you ?" cried Hubert. 
11 My rolls lay on top. Did you find them ? 
Now do you believe ?" 

Fritz looked quite astonished, then said 
softly and sadly, 

11 Yes, it true ; the rolls were there. I 
gave half to Rosa, but she would not eat. 
Ach ! ach !" he exclaimed, bursting into 
tears; "then my prayers cannot help us, 
and I will never see Rosa again. Perhaps 
she is already with grandmother in heaven." 



IN HEAVEN. 83 

Elsie clasped her hands in horror: 

" How can you say that, Fritz? Then she 
must be dead." 

But Margareth comforted them with her 
decided and sensible conclusions : 

" That is impossible. Why do you think 
only of sad things ? Father would surely 
have heard if anything had happened to 
Rosa, for his messengers have made the 
closest search and inquiries. — No, Fritz, you 
may rest assured Rosa is not in heaven." 

Yet, in spite of Margareth's firm conviction, 
on this very evening, as Rosa opened her 
eyes, it was with the blissful thought, "At 
last ! At last I am in heaven !" She lay in 
a picturesque old chamber more beautiful 
than anything she had ever seen. The ceil- 
ing was high and vaulted ; the single window 
formed a deep recess in the wall, and this 
alcove was filled with luxuriant green ivy, 



84 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

which wound its branches about the pillars, 
crept over the white curtains and climbed to 
meet the fairy-figures frescoed on the ceiling. 
At the window stood an arm-chair, and beside 
this a table, upon which rested a shining 
gilded bird-cage. The arm-chair was occu- 
pied by an old lady with a lovely, gentle 
countenance, and she sat still with folded 
hands, as the grandmother in the little attic- 
room had often sat. Above, on the wall, 
hung a golden angel, who held a clock in 
his arms, and a beautiful lamp stood on a 
side-table, beneath a delicate porcelain shade 
on which was painted a wreath of roses with 
green leaves. The light was so faint that 
the soft, snowy bed in which Rosa lay stood 
in deep shadow. 

Rosa dared not move. She lay quite still, 
with half-closed eyes, and wondered whether 
she were awake or dreaming. Now and 
then she looked at the angel and at the 



IN HEAVEN. 85 

grandmother and listened to the low ticking 
of the clock, and as again she glanced at the 
calm old face she folded her little hands and 
once more closed her eyes in sweet, refresh- 
ing slumber, in the blessed consciousness, 
" I am in heaven." 

The grandmother noiselessly arose, ap- 
proached the bed and gently laid her hand 
on the child's forehead: 

" Thank God ! the fever is gone. Now I 
will sleep peacefully after the long journey 
Poor lamb ! But the Lord has cared for her, 
and he will help further. Ach ! it almost 
seems our own little Golden-locks and the 
past are here again — the long years rolled 
away. How often have I thus stood beside her 
bed ! The poor — the lost — " The old Frau 
pressed her hand over her moist eyes. " I 
wish we could keep the child here/' she mur- 
mured ; " the castle has grown so lonely, 
and there is nothing more for old Sabine to 



86 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

do. That is bitter. But the baron wishes 
to speak to me; I had almost forgotten it 
in my sad thoughts." She left the room, 
passed through a corridor and knocked at 
the tall oaken door. 

" Enter !" said the deep voice of the 
baron. 

Sabine opened the door. This apartment 
of the castle also showed the same high- 
vaulted ceiling and the same massive col- 
umns, between which two high windows 
formed deep alcoves. But sombre and 
gloomy as the expression of the man who 
occupied it was the furniture of the room. 
Dark, heavy curtains hung before windows 
and doors. The carpet and the upholstery 
of the magnificently-carved antique furniture 
were also dark. The climbing plants and 
the flowers which gave to Sabine's room the 
appearance of a summer bower were all 
wanting here. 



IN HEAVEN. 87 

The baron arose to meet his cousin — his 
faithful friend of many years — and held out 
his hand : 

" Welcome home, Sabine ! How is the 
little one?" 

" Much better, Herr Baron ; she sleeps 
quietly, and smiles in her sleep as an angel. 
She is a very pretty child." 

"And you would gladly keep her? You 
have not forgotten your love of children, 
Sabine." A smile lightened the grave face 
of the old Herr, but quickly disappeared 
again. " That may not be possible, dear 
friend, much as I wish it for your sake. 
I will write to Breslau this evening and 
give the police information of our found- 
ling; then we will learn what relatives the 
child has." 

" She has no parents." 

" Let us wait ; and should the little one 
prove quite friendless — Well, the build- 



88 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

ing for the new Orphans' Home will be 
finished in the spring, and as soon as I suc- 
ceed in providing a suitable matron your 
charge shall be the first to whom its doors 
shall be opened. " 

" There is plenty of space in my room for 
the child," said Sabine, eagerly, "and it 
would make me very happy if she could 
remain here." 

The baron smiled again : 

" I thought so. I well know that you 
love nothing in the world — not even your 
flowers — so well as the helpless little human 
plants. If I could spare you, Sabine, I 
would present to you the Orphans' Home, 
and you might there for many years nurse 
and instruct to your heart's content; but 
you know I have now none who would so 
trouble themselves about my weal or woe 
as you, you true faithful friend, and there- 
fore you must stay in the castle." 



IN HEAVEN. 89 

Tears rolled over the face of the old 
Frau, and with a trembling voice she said 
quickly, 

" How could I ever go away or leave you ? 
How could I forget all your goodness to me, 
Herr Baron ? You and your whole house 
are my first thoughts ever. Could I forget 
the happy years that I have passed here 
and forsake you now in your trouble and 
loneliness? No, never! The old Sabine 
remains ; here is her post, and she leaves 
it only when God shall call her away." 

The baron held out his hand, and his own 
eyes filled with tears : 

"And since all our loved ones have been 
taken from us — all for whom we cared, dear 
Sabine — we will still not become melancholy 
and useless dwellers on God's earth. One 
may always find something to do to benefit 
his fellow-men. We must meet the coming 
days bravely and cheerfully, Sabine, even if 

8* 



90 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

the old castle now appears doubly lonesome. 
Good-night." He turned away, and Sabine, 
with a gentle " Good-night," .left the room. 

The baron stood still before a window and 
looked out into the dark night. Myriads of 
stars shone in the high heavens, and with an 
expression of painful longing the baron 
gazed upward into its vast and mysterious 
depths. 

44 So richly blest," he murmured, "and 
now so utterly bereft ! But thy will, O God, 
be done !" 

The next morning burst forth in brilliant 
sunshine, which stole into Frau Sabine's 
chamber and flooded it with golden light. 
The bird in its gilded bower trilled forth its 
morning song ; the golden angel grew more 
dazzling beneath the sun's rays, and the little 
clock in his arms kept on its soothing tic- 
tac, but the pretty lamp with its flower- 



IN HEAVEN. 91 

wreathed shade had disappeared from the 
table, and a handsome coffee-service, with 
fragrant hot biscuit, filled its place. 

Little Rosa had awakened ; she sat up in 
bed and looked around her in amazement. 
The door opened, and Sabine entered and 
came up to the child's bed : 

" Good-morning, my child, good-morning! 
The blue eyes look quite different to-day. 
Are you well, my dear?" 

" Yes, quite well/' answered Rosa, shyly. 
"Ach ! I have dreamt such a beautiful 
dream !" 

Frau Sabine lovingly stroked Rosa's cheek 
and kissed her : 

" It is beautiful here — even as a dream, lit- 
tle one ; and you will be happy here." 

" May I stay with you, and may Fritz 
come too ?" asked Rosa. 

" ' Fritz ' ? Is Fritz your brother ?" 

" Yes, surely. Ach ! what will he say to 



92 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

my running away, and Frau Hanna, and all 
the strange people — ach ! — and Elsie ?" 

" Have you run away ? That was not 
right, my child. And how sick you have 
been ! But now let us stop talking. Here ; 
drink a glass of milk and eat some zwieback ;" 
and Frau Sabine carefully attended to the 
child's breakfast. "What is your name?" 
she asked. 

" Rosa." 

" ' Rosa ' ?" exclaimed the Frau, in surprise. 
"How strange! The dear, dear name!" She 
kissed the child again, and watched with 
delight as Rosa ate her breakfast with hearty 
enjoyment, stopping every few minutes to 
look wonderingly about her. 

Then, as Rosa assured the old lady that 
she felt perfectly well, she was allowed to 
leave her bed; and when dressed, Frau 
Sabine drew aside the curtains, took the child 
in her arms and walked to the window : . 



IN HEAVEN. 93 

" Look out, Rosa : is it not beautiful 
here ?" 

Rosa uttered a cry of pleasure and clapped 
her hands. 

11 Yes, it is indeed a lovely picture," said 
Sabine, half sadly; "and when the spring 
comes, then it will be still more beautiful. 
Then will all these plains of gleaming snow 
become green meadows adorned with a 
thousand flowers ; and the forest yonder, 
with its tall trees crowned with snow, will 
hide within its shadows numberless lovely 
singing-birds, and the leaves will whisper 
and rustle and the whole air be fragrant 
with the scent of blossoms." 

Rosa had put her arm about Sabine's neck 
and nestled closely to her. Her dear pious 
grandmother and Sabine seemed, to her 
bewildered senses, to be one and the same 
person, and she softly whispered, looking 
earnestly into her eyes, 



94 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

"Are we both in heaven together ?" 

" No, child, we are on earth; but if we 
love God and all people, if we do nothing 
wrong, then are we living here as pure and 
happy life as that in heaven. Are we not, 
little Rosa?" she said smiling down into 
the child's face. 

Rosa nodded happily, as though she un- 
derstood what the old Frau meant. 

" Yes, as in heaven," she repeated, with 
beaming eyes; "but Fritz too must be there." 



CHAPTER IV. 

JOY AND SORROW. 

THE Frau Kommerzienrathin Willmers 
went to call on her two friends, but 
found only Seraphine at home. 

"Yes, dear Marie; she is as well as usual," 
said Seraphine as she assisted her guest to 
lay aside her hat and mantle. " Rough on 
the outside, but good and tender at heart, 
she has been unable to rest since last even- 
ing, and is continually on the lookout for 
some trace of the little one." 

" She will hardly succeed," returned Frau 
Marie, with a sigh, "for we have done all that 
is possible. The disappearance of the child 
lies on my heart like a weight, and I would 
give much if we could but find her again." 

95 



g6 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

"It is dreadful that we must experience 
only misfortunes," complained Seraphine, in 
her melancholy tones ; " my sister will truly 
make herself sick with anxiety. But listen ! 
There she is." 

" Yes, here she is," uttered Theodolinde, de- 
jectedly, entering the room, * and she returns 
as wise as she went away. Ach, dear Marie! 
j'ou here ? What a pleasant surprise ! I did 
not see you in the dim light. You are a 
welcome guest. Do you know where I have 
been ? To the neighbor of the poor grand- 
mother — to Frau Hanna. But it is no trifling 
matter to climb those four flights of steps, 
especially when one is suffering so badly 
as I am." 

" Do sit down," begged Seraphine as she 
arranged sofa-cushion and footstool for her 
sister. 

" You may rest assured Frau Hanna will 
immediately bring us news if she learns any- 



JOY AND SORROW. 97 

thing in regard to the child ; why trouble 
yourself to go to her?" said Frau Marie. 

" Yes, but, my dear, I am interested in this 
woman, who lives up close under the roof, 
not much better than a swallow that swings 
between heaven and earth, and yet is con- 
tented and cheerful in her poverty. It is 
wonderful. I have found no trace of the 
child, it is true, but I have seen Sera, that 
in the world there are people much poorer 
than ourselves. ,, 

" Well, my love, that is a discovery," said 
the Kommerzienrathin, smiling. " I have 
often begged you to look at the various 
conditions of life around you. When we see 
what endless misery, pain and trouble are on 
earth, we may well ask why God has favored 
us so much more than the thousands of 
suffering ones and cease our own complaints. 
Rather should we thank him, instead, for the 
undeserved blessings which we enjoy." 



98 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

" Well, we cannot exactly complain of too 
much good- fortune," said Theodolinde, in 
her bitter way. 

" No, dear Marie ; we have now for twenty 
years wrestled and struggled and — " 

" But if I asked of what great misfortune 
you complain, you would hardly know what 
to answer." 

" Not ■ hardly/ " interrupted Theodolinde. 
"Just think what it is to be accustomed to 
luxury from childhood, then suddenly to be 
compelled to practise the barest economy; 
to be transplanted from a lovely home in 
the country, where we could wander through, 
forest, field and meadow all our own, to a 
tiny house within the city walls; and to have 
added to our other troubles that of physical 
suffering. Is not that misfortune enough ?" 

"You picture it too darkly; widespread 
or contracted relations should have no in- 
fluence on the true inner life of human be- 



JOY AND SORROW. 99 

ings. Hundreds of thousands live in the 
city who would much rather pass their time 
in the country, but who, in spite of that, are 
quite happy. And your physical sufferings, 
dear Theodolinde, cannot surely be so great, 
for you appear strong and healthy." 

Seraphine looked at their friend in affright, 
for she knew that nothing angered her sister 
more than to be told she looked healthy. 
Theodolinde, however, only contracted her 
forehead and said somewhat vehemently, 

"Appearances are quite deceptive. If you 
only knew what I have suffered to-day ! I 
nearly died of asthma." 

u You will outgrow it in eighty or ninety 
years," jested the Kommerzienrathin. "But 
I have settled it in my mind that you both 
must grow more cheerful, and I hope I will 
yet have the pleasure of seeing my desire 
fulfilled." 

" How good you are !" said Seraphine, much 



100 WHERE IS HEAVEN ? 

moved. " You have always had patience 
with us when we have wrestled and strug- 
gled with our trouble and distress. I be- 
lieve we have not yet thanked you for the 
good strengthening wine you sent here 
while we were with you on New Year's 
evening. You are a friend in the true sense 
of the word, and the only one we have." 

Theodolinde pressed the hand of the Kom- 
merzienrathin and endeavored to conceal her 
emotion by a smile. 

" You will in time grow weary of helping 
such discouraging people, dear Marie. How 
difficult it will be for us to find a suitable 
dwelling ! If we could only have one with 
a tree before our window or a little green 
near its walls !" 

" If we only might !" chimed in Seraphine. 
"As the Swiss dies of homesickness for his 
mountains, so pine we of longing for God's 
free nature. And then, with no especial 



JOY AND SORROW. 1 01 

duty, one feels quite useless on earth. When 
I look across at the children's school over 
yonder, I often envy the teacher who has 
charge of the little ones, and sometimes 
wonder if it would not have been better 
for us to have undertaken something of 
the kind." 

"'Us'?" repeated Theodolinde, in the ut- 
most astonishment. " How do such strange 
ideas get into your head ? Do you think 
that I am in the smallest degree suited to 
have patience with such a restless little 
army ?" 

" No, not you, but I, Linda ; I would have 
patience. When I see how quietly and earn- 
estly the little girls go to school with their 
satchels on their arms, and when through 
the windows I observe how they bend over 
their desks with glowing faces or turn to- 
ward their teacher with bright, interested 

countenances, then would I gladly be among 
9 * 



102 WHERE IS HEAVEN ? 

them ; it would make me very happy. You, 
dear Linda, might care, meanwhile, for our 
domestic arrangements, as you now do ; and 
when the dear little things had gone merrily 
home, we could cosily sit together and have 
much to relate to each other." 

" Seraphine is quite right," said Frau 
Marie, who had gazed with astonishment 
on her usually sad and silent friend. 

"Air-castles ! Soap-bubbles !" growled 
Theodolinde. " It would be quite impos- 
sible in this house, where we have but one 
room besides our sleeping-apartment, and we 
could not pay the rent of a larger house." 

" Yes, it is impossible," sighed the younger 
sister, dejectedly. " There is no use for us 
on earth. 

" Not so, dear friend," cried the Kommer- 
zienrathin ; u no one is useless who does not 
want to be so. You are necessary to each 
other, are loved by me and my family, and 



JOY AND SORROW. 103 

can, if you only will, help many a poor 
fellow-being and comfort and encourage 
many who are sad." 

"Yes," uttered the elder sister, eagerly; 
" I have to-day thought of an old but warm 
jacket in the wardrobe that will make that 
poor washerwoman more comfortable. — What 
do you think, Sera? Shall we not give it to 
her?" 

"Yes, gladly, Linda; and my old woollen 
shawl may also be useful to her." 

There was a knock at the door, but, with- 
out waiting for a response, it was suddenly 
opened, and the children of the Kommer- 
zienrathin, accompanied by Fritz, burst in so 
stormily that the mother cried gravely and 
reprovingly, 

" My children !" 

" Do not scold, dear mother," entreated 
Elsie ; and she continued in eager, breath- 
less haste : " Only think ! Rosa is found !" 



104 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

" Yes, Rosa is found !" they shouted, in 
chorus ; and then all began to talk at once, 
until one word could hardly be distinguished 
from another. 

" Be quiet, my children !" commanded the 
mother. "First politely bid your aunts 
'Good-evening;' then all remain silent while 
Margareth tells the story." 

The aunts hastened to return the greet- 
ing of their little friends, almost as excited 
as the children, and impatiently awaited the 
story. 

" Where has the little crab hidden herself? 
How did they find her ?" cried Theodolinde. 

"At the castle !" 

"On the field !" 

"At the mountains !" 

Again sounded all the voices together. 

" How can any one learn what you mean ?" 
said Aunt Theodolinde ; and Margareth now 
spoke earnestly: 



JOY AND SORROW. 105 

"All be quiet and let me talk. — Father has 
just received a letter from the police — " 

"Ach ! Grete, dear Grete, let me tell it," 
begged Elsie; and she went on quickly: 
"The letter said that Rosa was found almost 
dead in the road, not far from the city ; and 
a sleigh came up, and they took her in, and 
carried her away a hundred miles from — " 

"And they travelled on the railroad all 
that night, and the whole of the next day. 
I wish it had been myself," interrupted Hu- 
bert. 

"And Rosa— my dear Rosa ! — is in a cas- 
tle, and I will soon see her again," cried 
Fritz, with a sob of joy. 

" But only think, dear mother ! The gen- 
tleman who found Rosa is — " 

" Oh, guess, guess ! Pray guess !" cried 
the little chatterboxes together. 

" But, my children, how can we guess ?" 
said the mother. "Who is it?" 



I06 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

" His name is the same as that of our 
aunts," laughed Elsie, merrily. 

" Is not that wonderful?" asked Margareth. 

" What ? How ?" questioned the sisters. 

"Yes, it is true," said Margareth. "The 
gentleman is the baron Von Ebendorf, and 
he lives in an old castle in the mountains. 
I believe the estate is called Tannenwiese." 

" ' Baron von Ebendorf !" repeated Theo- 
dolinde; and she walked across the room in 
her astonishment. u It is almost incredible. 
We have not heard of him for years, and 
now through this little kobalt ! Ach ! 
how glad I am ! It carries me back to the 
beautiful days of my childhood." 

" Is he related to you ?" asked the Kom- 
merzienrathin. 

" That is plain enough — a cousin on our 
father's side," said Seraphine. " We saw much 
of each other as children. He has great wealth." 

" But he was alwavs self-willed and 



JOY AND SORROW. IO7 

haughty. He has not thought of his poor 
cousins for many years, and yet has ex- 
perienced much trouble himself/' said The- 
odolinde. " How it interests and agitates 
me !" She stepped up to a mirror and care- 
fully observed herself. " Dear Sera, quickly 
dissolve for me a soothing-powder in sugar- 
water. The blood has gone to my head ; I 
have always said I incline to apoplexy." 

Seraphine tremblingly hastened to fulfil 
her sister's request. 

The Kommerzienrathin arose : 

" Come, dear friends, and spend the even- 
ing with me. You will thus more clearly 
learn all that has happened, and a walk in the 
evening air this beautiful winter weather will 
prove better than a soothing-powder." 

Seraphine longingly glanced toward her 
sister. 

" Will it be possible ?" she asked, anx- 
iously. 



108 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

" Oh yes ; I am already better. — Here, 
children, are some good apples, red as your 
old aunt Linda; take them with you in return 
for your good news. — You may believe, 
Marie, it is as though a hundredweight 
had been lifted from my heart, and this even- 
ing I truly feel happier than in many years. " 

The little party was soon on its way, but 
the children left their elders behind and 
swiftly sped home to talk over the wonderful 
news and to celebrate their joy by a merry 
game in the playroom. 

" If only I knew," said Elsie, with a medi- 
tative air, as she walked up and down the 
room bearing her favorite doll, Seraphine, 
who to-night, in consequence of the great 
excitement, could not be soothed to sleep — 
" if I only knew why dear Rosa ran away 
from us! — Can you guess?" she said to Hu- 
bert, who sat near. 

Hubert mysteriously nodded his head: 



JOY AND SORROW. IO9 

* Yes, truly, I could tell you ; but you 
chatter so, Elsie, and Fritz begged me not 
to tell." 

" Why not ? I repeat nothing that I 
should not," said Elsie, indignantly. 

" Well, you see, Elsie, Fritz says his sister 
is so timid that Aunt Theodolinde frightened 
her when she talked so loud and fast and 
said Rosa should be put in the cellar." 

"Ach !" exclaimed Elsie, in surprise. " But, 
Hubert, how could any one be afraid of Aunt 
Theodolinde ? Mother says she is so good." 

" Yes, Elschen, we knew that ; but Rosa 
did not." 

"And, you see, dear Elsie," said Margareth, 
always ready with a moral, "that it is well 
for us to accustom ourselves to a gentle, 
quiet manner like our mother's and—" 

"And Sister Greta's? Is it not true?" 

laughed the child. 

"Well, yes," assented Margareth; "I 
10 



110 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

would gladly become as our dear mother. 
Is that wrong?" 

" No— oh no ! but I am as lively and im- 
pulsive as papa ; is that wrong ?" 

Margareth kissed the rosy little mouth 
and laughed as she turned to Fritz: 

" Tell me, Fritz, why you are brushing 
your clothes so carefully. Are you going 
out?" 

Fritz reddened and laid down the clothes- 
brush : 

" I was only getting ready, for the gentle- 
man might come to take me to Rosa." 

" But you will not go as soon as you 
think, Fritz. Are you not happy here ? 
Wait patiently." 

" Oh, dear Margareth, do not be angry," 
begged Fritz. " I would gladly stay here 
with you all, and I have learned to love you 
so much that every evening I pray that God 
will bless you for your goodness to me; but 



JOY AND SORROW. Ill 

if you knew how I love Rosa, my dear sister 
Rosa — how I have grieved for her, and each 
night, as it grew dark, have wondered, 
4 Where is Rosa now ?' Ach !" He burst 
into tears, and Elsie tenderly put her arm 
around him, saying, 

" Do not cry, Fritz. We know how you 
love Rosa; and when they send for you to 
go to her, I will help you brush and pack, 
that you may be ready as quickly as possi- 
ble." 

"And I will give you my box of cuirassiers 
to remember me by/' said Hubert. " But it 
would be much better if you were to stay 
here." 

"Yes, Fritz; that is all that I meant," 
apologized Margareth. " You must be 
happy to-day, and not sad." 

Fritz dried his eyes and smiled at Mar- 
gareth. 

" I am happy to-day," he said — " happier 



1X2 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

still than on that evening — dp you remem- 
ber? — when the angels of the Lord — " 

" Hush ! hush !" said Margareth ; and she 
laid her hand over his lips. "You know 
you must not say that." 

" When the dear God heard my prayer and 
answered it," amended Fritz. "And now 
has he again listened, and Rosa is found; 
and I will soon see her. My dear, dear 
Rosa! I could leap for joy;" and he em- 
braced the children and danced up and down 
the room. 

Hubert joined him, and Elsie at last de- 
clared that it was impossible for her dear 
Seraphine to sleep in such a noise, and that 
she must take her to another room. To tell 
the truth, however, she was glad of an 
excuse to join the older party and listen 
to what they were saying on the all-ab- 
sorbing subject, the discovery of Rosa. 

The Kommerzienrath had just finished 



JOY AND SORROW. II3 

reading the baron's letter, in which he de- 
clared that if no near relatives or friends 
claimed the two orphan children he would 
take them himself and be responsible for 
their education, as he was childless. 

" Then we will give the children to him," 
said Herr Willmers as he folded the letter. 
"A home without children lacks sunshine, 
and God has already blessed us." 

" Cousin Friedrich had children," said 
Aunt Theodolinde, " but I think the daugh- 
ters died." 

" The son also," added Seraphine ; " he 
met with an accident while hunting. You 
have forgotten it. We read it in the Times 
several years ago." 

11 True. Then his home must be very 
lonely. But I never thought that proud, 
stern man would wish to educate a couple 
of poor children. It is wonderful how peo- 
ple change." 

10* H 



114 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Theodolinde disapprovingly shook her 
head: 

" If I live to be a hundred years old, peo- 
ple must still find me as I am now." 

" No, dear friend," said Frau Marie; "the 
old tree grows and puts forth new branches, 
even as the young tree— more slowly and 
imperceptibly, it is true, but still it grows. 
And so it is also with us. Who could, or 
would, rest satisfied with himself and cease 
striving to grow better and wiser? Who 
knows what experience has made the heart 
of your cousin more gentle and charitable ?" 

" The baron desires information concerning 
the relatives and the past lives of the chil- 
dren, " reminded Seraphine. " Has any one 
knowledge of the family of the little ones ?" 

" There is not much to be known," said 
the Kommerzienrathin, " and it is a sad story. 
The grandmother of the children was the 
widow of a country schoolmaster; her only 



JOY AND SORROW. I I 5 

son was a missionary, and for his sake she 
left the Fatherland and accompanied him and 
his young wife to America. Later, while out 
on a pleasure voyage, the young couple were 
drowned, leaving to the old mother the two 
young children and but small provision for 
them. She returned to her native land 
broken in health and weakened in mind by 
her troubles. She cared for nothing on 
earth but the children, and for years her 
thoughts and her conversation were more 
of heaven than of this world ; therefore the 
children heard so much of spiritual things 
— which they could not understand — that 
they almost expected visible angels to come 
to them in their little attic-chamber and bear 
them all away to heaven. In earlier years, 
when the children were quite young, Frau 
Hanna had served the little household ; but 
when the grandmother became blind and 
was at last compelled to sell everything in 



Il6 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

order to provide for herself and the chil- 
dren, she moved up into the attic-room ; and 
this winter their distress was so great that 
Frau Hanna proposed that Fritz should 
start out to earn something by selling 
sand." 

" But had they no relatives on the mother's 
side ?" asked Seraphine, whose tender heart 
had long since ceased to consider whether 
they were beggar-children or not. 

" Frau Hanna was unable to say ; the 
grandmother was a reserved woman, and 
had told her nothing more." 

" The poor washerwoman related the story 
to me to-day," said Theodolinde; "and it is 
truly a great piece of fortune for the children, 
and a wonderful providence, that they have, 
so to say, run right into the hands of Cousin 
Ebendorf and given him an opportunity to 
do good. How little did I think that this 
obstinate young crab would come to live at 



JOY AND SORROW. II7 

Tannenwiese ! I was there but once, yet I 
remember it as a dream of Paradise, so won- 
derfully beautiful are the country and the 
castle.'' 

" It is strange how one thread joins itself to 
another," remarked the Kommerzienrathin, 
thoughtfully. 

" But my Frau began the weaving of this 
plan of Providence," laughed Herr Willmers ; 
" for had she not early planted in the hearts 
of our children the seeds of warm love to 
all human beings, they would not so deeply 
have felt the distress of the poor boy; he 
might have gone away unobserved, and I 
would not have been so moved by the 
familiar sight of my own child's clothing as 
to interest myself especially for them." 

"Aunt Seraphine," whispered Elsie, " look 
how peacefully my doll sleeps ; she no longer 
opens her eyes. And surely she must dream 
very sweetly, for she smiles in her sleep." 



Il8 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

** Perhaps her dreams are of golden butter- 
flies." 

" Do you still remember that, Aunt Sera?" 
exclaimed the child, delightedly. "Oh, that 
was a lovely day ! It was my birthday, and 
so many roses bloomed to celebrate it ! and 
on the prettiest rose was the butterfly. Do 
you remember?" 

** Yes, and Elschen wanted a little cage to 
put the butterfly in, that she might keep him 
for ever," said Aunt Seraphine. 

"As a souvenir of the day, and because it 
was so beautiful," replied Elsie ; " but papa 
said that would be too sad for the butterfly, 
so he laid it in ether, and now I have it still 
in my finest casket on a soft little bed of 
white cotton. It is as pretty as ever ; and 
when my dolls are very good, I let them 
peep at my golden butterfly. Aunt Sera, 
I can repeat the verses that you wrote for 
me on that day. Shall I say them ?" 



JOY AND SORROW. 1 19 

"Yes, Elschen; I will hear them with 
pleasure." 

So Elsie merrily declaimed : 

" Golden butterfly 
In the sunshine, 
On a rose-leaf, 

Would thou wert mine ! 

" Golden butterfly 
In the sunshine, 
Fly not away : 

Stay and be mine ! 

" Golden butterfly 
In the sunshine, 
Like precious stones 
Thy wings do shine. 

" Golden butterfly, 

In the summer air, 
Art more to childish hearts 
Than jewels rare." 

The evening passed pleasantly to old and 
young, and the next day the Kommerzienrath 



120 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

wrote to the baron Von Ebendorf stating 
that the children might be transferred to 
his care. 

Soon after, a second letter arrived from 
Tannenwiese ; this deeply moved the Kom- 
merzienrath and his wife, and it was decided 
that Fritz should stay in Breslau until spring, 
and then be sent to Tannenwiese. 

Truly, it seemed to poor Fritz that he 
could hardly wait until then to see his Rosa 
again : it was an eternity. But the days 
passed by one after the other in industrious 
study and merry games ; weeks and months 
grew out of the days ; and suddenly the first 
snowdrops, crocuses and tiny blades of grass 
began to peep out of the earth, and more 
strongly the warm sunbeams announced 
each day: "The spring is at the door." 

Happily and peacefully as the winter had 
passed in the home of the Willmers, it had 



JOY AND SORROW. 121 

brought unforeseen trouble to Aunt Theodo- 
linde and Aunt Seraphine, and all the dismal 
predictions of the elder sister in regard to 
an unfortunate year seemed about to be ful- 
filled. The little capital on whose interest 
the sisters depended for their income was 
wholly lost through the failure of a bank. 
Theodolinde was so upset by the news, and 
thrown into such a state of excitement, that 
she declared her last hour had come, for a 
heart-trouble had already developed, and 
Seraphine vainly " wrestled and struggled " 
to keep up under this new misfortune. She 
became nervous and weak and sank into a 
low, dangerous fever. Now, to he^ surprise, 
Theodolinde discovered that Seraphine had 
long been a greater sufferer than herself. 
She forgot herself and her ailments and 
became unwearied in her devotion day and 
night to her sick sister ; even the thought of 

their utter poverty was thrust into the back- 
11 



122 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

ground by the fear of losing her loved one. 
The Kommerzienrathin assisted them in 
every possible way, daily sent by the chil- 
dren some refreshing delicacy, and by her 
presence and advice encouraged Theodolinde, 
who, often as she had maintained that she 
was the most unfortunate being in the world, 
now suddenly became quite patient, when a 
truly great sorrow had fallen upon her. 

" It is remarkable/' Frau Marie often said 
to her husband, " how gentle Theodolinde is 
in comparison with other days, and how 
seldom she thinks of her own imaginary 
weaknesses. I believe this misfortune will 
prove a blessing in disguise." 

" Yes, truly," said the Kommerzienrath, 
with a smile; "there are old children as 
well as young, and the old must often be 
educated, if only the right schoolmaster — in 
the shape of Experience — knocks at their 
hearts." 



JOY AND SORROW. 1 23 

"But what will the poor things do in the 
future ?" asked his wife. 

" I have already thought much of that, 
and I must say as yet I do not know. Will- 
ing as I am still further to help them, I dare 
not permanently undertake the responsibility 
of their maintenance/' 

"Would it be well to inform the baron 
Von Ebendorf of the unfortunate circum- 
stances of his relatives ? He seems to be a 
noble, benevolent man, and would perhaps 
settle a pension on them if he knew of the 
ill-fortune that has overtaken them." 

" But would they accept charity from a 
relative who has not troubled himself about 
them for so many years ? Besides, the pen- 
sion would be but a trifle, ,, said Herr Will- 
mers. 

" You are right ; they would not accept it. 
We must find a position for them somewhere, 
and I can help increase their income unknown 



124 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

to them, as I have already done," said Frau 
Marie, with a satisfied smile. 

The Kommerzienrath embraced his wife 
and lovingly patted her cheek as he would 
that of a favorite child. She saw that his 
eyes were moist. 

" Thou dear one !" he said ; " may all our 
children resemble thee ! Then will they too 
in heart be as much in heaven as on earth," 






CHAPTER V. 

AT TANNENWIESE. 

IT was May. The towering firs between 
which lay the castle and the village of 
Tannenwiese, and which framed and guarded 
them as venerable sentinels, had long since 
doffed their slumber-robes of snow and ice ; 
the meadow-lands were covered with a deli- 
cate green and adorned with a thousand dif- 
ferent wild-flowers ; in the castle-gardens 
trees and shrubs blossomed and fragrance 
filled the air, and soft mysterious rustling 
and the songs of birds and distant echoes ; 
and the sunbeams drifted through the forest, 
over mountain, valley and meadow, and 
hearts were light and beat joyously in hope 
of what the spring should bring. 

11* 125 



126 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Frau Sabine and Rosa, who, now clung to 
her kind friend with great affection, had wan- 
dered toward the forest. It was late in the 
afternoon, and they sat down to rest beneath 
an ancient fir tree whose widespreading 
branches drooped over them like a shel- 
tering roof. 

" Will the sun never go down to-day ?" 
exclaimed Rosa. " I never knew a day to 
last so long." 

" It seems long, my child, only- because 
you are so impatient. Gather some flowers 
and make a pretty bouquet to welcome the 
dear uncle and brother." 

" Oh yes !" cried Rosa; and she began to 
pluck primroses and anemones, but came 
back in a few minutes, nestled closely to 
the old Frau and said eagerly, " I wonder 
what Fritz will say, dear aunt, when he sees 
this beautiful forest and the castle and the 
great garden and how happy I am ?" 



AT TANNENWIESE. 12/ 

" He will be happy too, my lamb." 

" Yes, but how he will look and what he 
will say! Will he scold me for wishing to 
run away to heaven?" 

" Indeed, my little Rosa, that was very 
thoughtless of you." 

" But, dear aunt, the Frau was so cross ! 
You would hardly believe it. She looked 
at me so " — Rosa tried to draw her pretty 
little face into a dark scowl — " and she was 
angry. Ach ! I was frightened." 

Frau Sabine smiled. 

" Do you know the difference between a 
chestnut and a walnut ?" she asked. 

" Yes, surely, Aunt Sabine." 

"Well, you see, dear Rosa, the chestnut 
has a prickly bur, so that we cannot take it 
in our hands without feeling its sharp points ; 
but look within, and there is the shining 
brown nut, and in its hard shell is the sweet 
kernel which we are very glad to have and 



128 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

which tastes so good. Now, it is quite pos- 
sible that this Frau who seemed so harsh to 
you still has a warm, loving heart. When 
you grow older, my child, you will see how 
that may be." 

"But, dear aunt, will the sun never set?" 
said the little one, restlessly. " Please tell 
me how long we must wait." 

" Not very long," said the old Frau, cheer- 
fully, as she looked at her watch ; and, tak- 
ing the impatient child by the hand, she con- 
tinued : " Let us walk home slowly and see 
if all is ready for the dear travellers, and 
before we think it they will be there too." 

But they had but left the forest-shadows 
and trodden the meadow-path — had scarcely 
reached the avenue which led to the castle 
door — when Rosa cried in joyful accents, 

"I see the carriage! They are coming! 
They are coming ! Ach ! my dear Fritz is 
coming !" and she so quickly ran toward the 



AT TANNENWIESE. 1 29 

approaching carriage that Frau Sabine could 
not keep up with her. 

" Rosa, stay in the path or you will be run 
over," she cried, anxiously. 

Rosa heard and stood still by the roadside, 
glowing and trembling with joy and excite- 
ment. 

The coachman, who had seen the little 
figure, stopped the carriage ; the baron 
alighted, and with a cry of rapture Rosa 
threw herself into the arms of her brother, 
who followed him. 

" Rosa, dear Rosa !" 

"Ach, Fritz, Fritz !" 

They could utter no more, but tears 
streamed down the little faces; and the 
children kissed each other again and again, 
until the baron said jestingly, 

" Well, little Rosa, have you no welcome 

for Uncle Fritz ?" 

Rosa instantly turned to the smiling baron, 
I 



I3O WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

but suddenly stood still as though turned to 
stone, gazing with terrified eyes into the face 
of Fraulein Theodolinde, who stood beside 
the baron. Was it possible that the angry 
Frau had followed her here to punish her 
for her wilfulness? Or was she not the same 
Frau ? Yes, it was she ; but, without giving 
Rosa time to think, she lifted the child in 
her arms, pressed a hearty kiss on the rosy 
mouth and said in her deep voice, 

" You little gypsy ! I have followed you 
even here. So it is when one is naughty. 
Will you give me your hand now, little 
sweet-brier ?" 

Rosa beseechingly looked at Aunt Sabine, 
who had now joined the group, and then 
shyly into the dark eyes of the lady, but 
— oh wonder !— bright tears stood in those 
eyes and the lips were curved in a tender 
smile. 

The child feared no longer ; with a bash- 



AT TANNENWIESE. 131 

ful smile she confidently placed her little hand 
in that of Theodolinde and whispered softly, 

" Please do not be angry with Rosa any 
longer." 

The carriage went forward, and the party 
followed in lively conversation. Frau Sabine 
had known the cousins of the baron in 
former years, and now many half-forgotten 
incidents of their happy youth were eagerly 
recalled. 

" You must ask Cousin Fritz how it hap- 
pened that we surprised you so to-day, dear 
Sabine," said Theodolinde : " I must confess 
that it seems but a dream to me to find 
myself here." 

"To me also," added Seraphine, who 
looked pale and delicate, but much hap- 
pier than in the old days. "Ach ! how 
beautiful is Tannenwiese !" she exclaimed, 
impulsively. 

Delightful indeed they all found it as they 



132 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

sat in the garden-seat at the festively-adorned 
table and talked over the past and the future. 
The glass doors were open, and the fresh 
spring air bore in the scent of many blos- 
soms. 

Fritz had won the heart of the baron in 
the few days they had been together, so 
that the Herr had written to Sabine to have 
a room in the castle prepared for him. He 
would bring, instead, for the Home, two 
orphans, although not quite so youthful 
as Fritz and Rosa. 

Sabine had shaken her head over the letter. 
Why need the baron seek in a distant city 
for children ? Were there not enough friend- 
less ones in the country around them? Now, 
as she looked at the two sisters, the riddle 
was solved. 

After supper the baron led his cousins to 
the pretty building just beyond the castle-gar- 
dens, and delivered its keys and responsibil- 



AT TANNENWIESE. 1 33 

ities into their hands, expressing his great 
pleasure in being able to offer them this 
interesting charge and hoping they would 
find a peaceful and happy home here for 
the remainder of their days. 

Tears and smiles struggled for the mas- 
tery in Theodolinde's countenance. 

"There is no question as to happiness/' 
she said, " and you well know, dear Eben- 
dorf, that your unexpected appearance and 
your kind proposition to give us a sphere 
of usefulness here was a deliverance out 
of great trouble and anxiety/' 

"Yes, and we will wrestle and struggle, 
dear cousin, to prove our gratitude." 

" No, no, Seraphine ! there must be no 
1 wrestling and struggling,'" laughed the 
baron. " Peace and contentment only shall 
reign here." 

When the sisters were alone, they exam- 
ined the beautiful and comfortable abode, in 
12 



134 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

whose lower apartments twelve children 
could be pleasantly accommodated, besides 
the teacher and the necessary appurtenances, 
while the upper story, with its wonderful out- 
look on the mountains, was set apart for the 
sisters. 

Theodolinde was in a gentle flutter of hap- 
piness — to her a hitherto unknown state. 
She embraced her sister and drew her to 
the window. Both gazed with swelling 
hearts into the quiet beauty of the land- 
scape that shone mistily through the spring 
night. 

" You have been restored to me, Sera," 
murmured Theodolinde; "a home has fall- 
en from heaven more beautiful than any- 
thing we dreamt it possible to possess 
again. Oh, sister, how can we sufficiently 
thank God for all this happiness ?" 

" By growing better, dear Linda. Marie 
was right: the messengers of the Lord 



AT TANNENWIESE. 1 35 

truly wander on this earth to comfort and 
assist the unfortunate. Cousin Fritz is one 
of them, and in the future we also will be- 
long to them. We have thought too much 
of ourselves and our own troubles; Cousin 
Ebendorf has suffered more than we 
guessed." 

Theodolinde nodded thoughtfully. 

" Has Sabine spoken to you of our cous- 
in's troubles?" she asked. 

" Yes. When she led me to her room to 
rest and we were alone, she begged me not 
to ask the baron about his children unless 
he first spoke of them himself. His son, just 
grown up, was killed while hunting, soon after 
the death of the mother. The eldest daugh- 
ter married a minister and accompanied her 
husband, who was sent as a missionary to 
a distant country. They never returned, 
and in spite of every inquiry nothing has 
been heard of them for years; communica- 



I36 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

tion with Europe was at that time difficult 
and irregular. Probably they too are dead 
— perhaps murdered by the savages. The 
youngest daughter was the only one left, 
and she was delicate ; the baron and Sabine 
spent years with her in Italy endeavoring to 
nurse her back to health, but she died dur- 
ing the past winter, and was buried there." 

" Poor child !" sighed Theodolinde. 

"And yet, Linda, he must rest peacefully 
to-night, when he has prepared such hap- 
piness for others that we bless and pray 
for him." 

Theodolinde leaned her head against her 
sister's shoulder and burst into tears. 

"What is it, dear sister? Are you ill?" 
cried Seraphine, anxiously. 

" No, no ! Do not be troubled about me ; 
you have cared too long, dear Sera. Let me 
weep ; it will do me good. I realize how 
much patience God has had with me, for I 



AT TANNENWIESE. 1 37 

have never tried to bring happiness to a sin- 
gle human heart — not even yours, dear sis- 
ter." 

" How can you say that ?" said Sera, 
touched by this confession. " Have you 
not nursed me day and night with perfect 
self-sacrifice ?" 

" Yes, after I had tormented you almost to 
death with my everlasting complaints and 
my imaginary ailments. Forgive me, dear 
sister." 

Seraphine drew her sister away from the 
window. 

" Come help your abused sister make her 
toilet for the night," she said, jestingly. 

" How forgetful I am ! Dear heart, you 
must be deadly tired ; let us hasten to rest," 
she exclaimed as she bore a light into the 
cosy sleeping apartment. 

A short prayer together, a kiss, and all 

was dark and silent in the Orphans' Home. 
12* 



I38 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Fritz and Rosa had meanwhile a thousand 
things to ask and to relate to each other. 
Fritz brought letters from Margareth, Hubert 
and Elsie to his little sister, and all three told 
of their grief and anxiety when Rosa dis- 
appeared. Even the Princess and the court- 
ladies had become quite sick from fright, 
wrote Elsie; and Margareth and Hubert had 
a lecture already prepared for her when they 
should come in the holidays to Tannenwiese 
with their mamma — for they had promised 
the Herr Baron they would all come — but 
she would kiss the little Rosa and be very 
good to her. 

"Oh, Fritz," cried Rosa, joyfully, "will 
they all truly come here?" 

"Yes, they are coming; and if the country 
pleases him, the Herr Kommerzienrath will 
give up his business and buy a place in the 
neighborhood. Then they will all leave the 
great city and come here to live. Only 



AT TANNENWIESE. 1 39 

think, Rosa! Uncle Will mers is sixty years 
old ; he may well leave his work and rest in 
the quiet country." 

"That would be too good!" said Rosa, 
with delight; "I will be so glad to see 
them, especially dear Elsie." 

Aunt Sabine had long ago warned them 
that it was bedtime; she now declared that 
if they did not go with her they might spend 
the night in the garden-seat, and with much 
laughter the two children followed her. 

" Do you know, Fritz, that when I lay for 
the first time in that pretty bed and looked 
around me here in Aunt Sabine's room, I 
thought I was in heaven? Does it seem 
so to you ?" asked Rosa. 

Fritz gravely shook his head : 

" No, Rosa ; heaven can have no ceiling 
or walls, for then the angels could not fly." 

" Yes, but outside, where there are neither 
walls nor ceiling, is not heaven, Uncle Fritz 



I4O WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

said. Where, then, is heaven ? Do you 

know ?" 

" No, Rosa ; I cannot find out that yet." 
" But Aunt Sabine says we may be in 

heaven even here, Fritz." 

"Ach ! I do not believe that." 

" Neither do I," whispered the little girl. 

Aunt Sabine, who had been inspecting the 

night-fastenings of the castle, now entered. 

The children kissed each other, bade a soft 

" Good-night/' and soon two pairs of bright 

eyes were closed in happy slumber. 



CHAPTER VI. 
THE HOLIDAYS. 

THERE were lovely twilight hours and 
talks in the glowing western avenue, 
in the jasmine-bower of the castle-garden, or 
up on the mountain-side beneath the roof 
formed by the dry roots of the ancient fir 
trees. Elsie each day repeated over and 
over again that there was no place in the 
whole world more beautiful than Tannen- 
wiese, and Margareth and Hubert emphati- 
cally confirmed her declaration. 

The Kornmerzienrathin Willmers and her 
children had already spent three weeks at the 
castle, and Frau Sabine felt herself growing 
young again amid the frolicsome group and 
happy in the society of Frau Marie, the 

1.41 



142 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

reports of whose goodness had not been ex- 
aggerated, although the baron as well as The- 
odolinde and Seraphine had spread the fame 
of her gentleness and virtues in Tannenwiese 
long before her arrival. 

The finest summer weather favored the 
plans of the young people, and every day 
some expedition was made over the neigh- 
boring mountains or into the wonderful and 
mysterious depths of the forest. 

At evening all gathered together in the 
castle-garden, at the garden-seat or before 
the door of the Orphans' Home, where an 
airy canopy swung above the green grass ; 
and Seraphine, as often as the weather was 
pleasant, gathered her little pupils about her 
in the open air and gave them an hour's in- 
struction or read to them from some attractive 
story-book. Margareth, Elsie and Rosa, not- 
withstanding the fact that it was holiday-time 
with them, punctually joined this entertain- 



THE HOLIDAYS. 143 

ment, much interested in the developments 
unfolded each evening. 

On this Saturday our trio of little girls 
and three diminutive waifs surrounded Aunt 
Seraphine, while the Kommerzienrathin, Sa- 
bine and Theodolinde had gone to the 
neighboring city to make some purchases. 
The two boys were in the baron's study. 

11 Now lay aside your games," said Herr 
von Ebendorf as with clear strokes the clock 
on the mantle announced the sixth hour, 
" and Fritz will read us something suited to 
the close of this last day of the week." 

" May I read from grandmother's prayer- 
book, which Aunt Willmers brought to us?" 
asked Fritz. 

" Certainly, my boy. Where is it ?" 

11 Rosa wished to keep it. It lies on her 
bureau ; I will bring it quickly ;" and the 
next moment he was out of the room. 

" Before we started on our journey to 



144 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Tannenwiese," said Hubert, confidentially, to 
the baron, " mother went to see Frau Hanna, 
who is very poor and is now quite sick. 
They gave her, it is true, all that the grand- 
mother left in her room, but that was very 
little ; and she can no longer work and 
earn anything for herself. Papa kept only the 
books and the letters that were found there, 
but they were not of much consequence. A 
short time ago Frau Hanna found the prayer- 
book in a dress-pocket and gave it to mother 
for Fritz and Rosa. It is but a shabby little 
book not in use now." 

Yes, truly it was old and worn, but Fritz 
carried it as carefully as though it were a 
priceless treasure. 

Hubert, who was inclined to tease, looked 
mischievous. 

" Is it glass, Fritz/' he whispered, " that 
you handle it so tenderly ?" 

Fritz reddened, but caressingly passed his 



THE HOLIDAYS. 145 

hand over the faded binding, and said 
earnestly, 

"Ach, Hubert! how often has grandmother 
held this book in her hands ! Whenever I 
see it, I think of her, My father used it 
when a child, and grandmother said that 
our mother had often read to her beautiful, 
comforting hymns from it. You have your 
father and your mother, Hubert, but we had 
only our grandmother ; and she was so good 
— ach ! so good !" 

The bright tears stood in the boy's eyes, 
and the baron, who sat at a table reading, 
but who had listened to the whispered con- 
versation of the children, softly laid his hand 
on Fritz's head and said, 

" Read us, then, an evening hymn from 
the good grandmother's book." 

Fritz read : 

" * The world has gone to rest, 
And all is still; 
13 K 



I46 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

The birds within their nests 

Have ceased to trill; 
I too, without a fear, 

Seek my bed warm : 
God's angels watching near 

Keep me from harm. 

"'Dear God, who fills the night 

With moonlight and bright stars, 
Who leads us ever right, 

Whose hearts thine are, 
As the fair stars that shine, 

Within our breasts 
May thy dear love divine 

Send peace and rest! 

" ' Thy love shall go with me 

To Slumberland; 
Thine angels' wings I see, 

So near they stand, 
To guard from passing thought 

Or dream of wrong 
And banish from me aught 

But heavenly song. 



THE HOLIDAYS. 1 47 

" * I thank thee for this day, 

For sunlight fair; 
I trust my future way 

Unto thy care. 
My prayer at morn shall be, 

At setting sun, 
That evermore in me 

Thy will be done. , " 

"Amen !" said Fritz, gently. 

The baron took the book and turned over 
its pages. A sheet of paper yellow with age 
suddenly fell from between the leaves. The 
baron picked it up and opened it, but as he 
looked upon the writing within his face grew 
deathly pale and the hand which held the 
paper shook so that Fritz uttered a cry of 
fear and hurried to his side. 

" Be quiet, child; it is over/' said the Herr, 
in a faint voice. " I am not ill. Go out into 
the garden ; I will follow later. The book 
may remain here until Rosa comes." 

The boys went, but from the door Fritz 



I48 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

anxiously looked back at the baron, and was 
reassured only when he saw him rise and 
walk up and down the room. 

Toward sunset the ladies returned from 
the city. The children were tired out with 
their games; and when the evening meal 
was over, all retired to their rooms but 
Frau Sabine, who still lingered in the gar- 
den-seat enjoying a half hour in the deep 
silence and the lonely night. The doors 
leading to the garden were wide open. The 
delicious perfume of roses and honeysuckle 
pressed into the room, the crickets in the 
grass chirped musically, and over the forest 
hung the crescent of the young moon like 
a golden boat floating upon an azure sea. 

Frau Sabine looked out upon the scene ; 
the indescribable beauty of the landscape, 
the peaceful serenity of the night, enrap- 
tured her heart as ever, and lifted her spirit 



THE HOLIDAYS. I49 

to the Creator of all things. And yet a sigh 
of pain and longing passed her lips. 

" How sad and unhappy the poor baron 
appeared to-day, as though striving not to 
show that all his sorrowful recollections had 
again been awakened ! And is it otherwise 
with me ? Do I not daily think of our lost 
Rosa as I so often speak her name in ad- 
dressing the child of my care and love? 
What is the fate of our wanderer? Where 
may she be? Does she still live? or has 
death overtaken her too? The grief for 
the others is more resigned: we know that 
they are with God ; but Rosa — the good, the 
lovely — perhaps poor, friendless, sick, in a 
strange country among savages ! There is 
nothing so dreadful as this tormenting un- 
certainty." She covered her face with her 
hands and wept. 

When Sabine raised her head, she per- 
ceived a figure moving to and fro under the 

13* 



150 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

trees, and soon recognized the form of the 
baron. She dried her eyes quickly. 

" No, this must not be; he must not again 
yield himself up to his grief in the solitude 
of night," she exclaimed, resolutely; and, 
going down the steps, she walked toward 
the baron, who stood still and awaited 
her. 

" Dear baron, what has happened ?" she 
asked, frightened as she perceived that the 
strong, self-contained man had been weep- 
ing. 

■■ ■ I grieve for my oldest child," he an- 
swered, softly. " The long-prayed-for news 
has come at last; but — ach, Sabine! — my 
daughter has long since left this sorrowful 
earth. And yet there is reason to be thank- 
ful ; for, in spite of all the pain, a rich bless- 
ing is still left us. God has shown her 
children the way to her fathers house; 
they have been led home to us. So long 



THE HOLIDAYS. 151 

as I live I will thank the almighty Creator 
for this wonderful providence." 

Sabine trembled with agitation. 

" I do not understand," she stammered. 
"What children?" 

"The children who sleep yonder beneath 
our roof, little dreaming that they have come 
to their own birthright ; the poor children 
who have lived for years in bitter poverty, 
and who, but for the compassion of our good 
friends, might have perished in want, or, 
worse still, have lost their purity and fallen 
into sin, — they are the children of my lost 
daughter. There is sure proof; it is impos- 
sible to doubt it." 

"What!" murmured the Frau, still con- 
fused by the unexpected revelation. " Fritz 
and Rosa her children? But who brought 
the news ? and who so surely knows that 
my darling is no longer on earth ?" 

" Let us go in and read the letter which I 



152 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

found a few hours ago in the grandmother's 
prayer-book." 

They returned to the garden-seat Frau 
Sabine lighted the lamp with unsteady hand; 
the baron sat down and handed her the letter. 
She sank back powerless in her chair when 
she had unfolded the paper. 

"Yes, it is her writing/' she murmured; 
"I would know it among a thousand." 

There was silence until Frau Sabine suf- 
ficiently recovered herself to read the letter. 
It ran : 

" My dearly-loved Father : We have 
passed through many hard experiences in 
this wild country, and I have often thought 
of your words — that my strength was not 
sufficient for the wearisome life of a mission- 
ary's wife. You were not mistaken : I am 
ill and filled with uncontrollable homesick- 
ness. My good and kind husband has 



THE HOLIDAYS. 153 

decided to send the children and myself 
home on the first opportunity, but, alas ! 
when will that be possible ? I grieve at the 
thought of leaving him, but feel it is best; 
and my heart will beat joyously at the pros- 
pect of seeing you all again, of breathing 
the air of my mountain-home, and of bring- 
ing my dear children to receive their grand- 
father's blessing. Fritz is the image of his 
grandfather, but my sweet little Rosa will 
resemble me. My husband's aged mother 
will accompany us. She is a gentle, timid 
woman — spiritually-minded, perhaps to ex- 
cess, but she devotedly loves the children 
and will not leave them. The firm faith in 
God on which her whole life rests will com- 
mend her to you. 

"The sun is sinking behind the distant 
towering rocks, and the day's work is ended. 
My husband will presently come from his 
arduous duties of trying to convince these 



154 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

poor heathen of the love and the power of 
God, and we will take our customary even- 
ing sail in the little boat that glides over 
the water as the swallows at home glide 
over the fragrant meadows. 

" Will this letter ever reach you ? I doubt 
it, for not a line from home has come to me 
in all these days. A sailing-vessel that 
touches our coast will take it, and although, 
like many others, it may never meet your 
eyes, still I must express my joy that I hope 
to see you all again. My heart is filled with 
gladness which must speak. To-morrow I 
will begin my preparations, and soon — ach, 
soon ! — I may once more rest within my 
father's home. 

" Farewell — farewell until I see you." 
" Your daughter, 

" Rosa." 

Sabine covered her eyes and wept bitterly; 



THE HOLIDAYS. I 55 

but when she looked up and saw the pale, 
suffering face of the baron, she forced her- 
self to conquer her emotion, and said, 

" She is in her Father's home ; she is 
where it is best. Herr Baron, you must not 
grieve so ; the painful uncertainty that tor- 
tured us is over now. We know our dar- 
ling is beyond all earthly suffering. And 
you, dear baron, must live and work for 
Rosa's children. Only think what a great 
and unexpected blessing you have in them. 
You are no longer without ties ; your grand- 
children will grow up under your happy eyes, 
and the old Sabine will feel as though she 
had become thirty years younger, for she 
will again have, as in former days, her hands 
full in caring for the dear castle-children. " 
She forced a smile to her kindly old face. 
The baron gratefully pressed her hand : 
"You are right, faithful heart; I must be 
content. Blessing and riches have returned 



I56 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

to my house, and happiness shall again smile 
within its walls, in place of the bitter, gnaw- 
ing anxiety over the fate of the absent 
one. 

"What will the children say," cried Sa- 
bine, beginning to realize the new position 
of her dear pi'oteges — " those good children 
who win love as soon as one looks into their 
clear, beautiful eyes ? They will be happier 
than ever." 

" Yes, and the good Aunt Sabine, who 
loves them already, will spoil them as she 
has all the castle-children of other days. I 
see I must keep a watchful eye over this 
fond aunt/' laughed the baron, quite cheer- 
fully. 

" It will be the grandpapa, and not the old 
Sabine, who will spoil them, and her too," 
returned Sabine, tearfully. " What is to be 
done first?" 

"We will soon decide on what is best, 



THE HOLIDAYS. 1 57 

dear friend ; you, with your clear, quiet 
glance, are ever right. Send the children 
to me early to-morrow morning; say noth- 
ing to any one, dear Sabine, until I have 
spoken with them," said the baron, much 
agitated. He pressed her hand and left the 
room. 

When the old Frau entered her bedroom, 
she leaned over Rosa's couch and closely 
looked at the lovely face of the little sleep- 
er, to which the country air had given a 
healthy color. A long lock of golden hair 
fell over her cheek and the rosy lips were 
curved in a happy smile, as though some 
merry jest had just been uttered. 

" Strange that I have not seen it long 
ago!" murmured Sabine to herself. "It is 
our Rosa as I have seen her dozens of times, 
feature for feature. I ask no further proof; 
they need explain nothing more to me. 
When I look at the child, I see it all." 

14 



I58 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Then she passed into another chamber and 
stood before the boy's bed. Here also was 
the family likeness strongly repeated, and, 
shaking her head, Sabine exclaimed, 

" How is it possible that we guessed noth- 
ing ? Oh how short-sighted are we mortals 
in everything!" 



CHAPTER VII. 

A BRIGHTER DA V. 

FRAULEIN THEODOLINDE had 
arisen early and quietly slipped into 
the sitting-room in order not to disturb her 
sister, who still slept. Since Seraphine's se- 
vere illness she had completely changed from 
the brusque, excitable being of former days, 
'and now no one could be more forbearing 
or considerate. 

" You know, dear Marie," she had con- 
fessed in a confidential hour to the Kom- 
merzienrathin, " it is impossible to instruct 
and govern children, as it is now our duty, 
without more self-control and gentleness 
than I have hitherto thought of attaining. 
As I endeavor to correct this fault in the 

159 



l60 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

little ones, how often I feel ashamed when I 
think of my own impatience ! You were 
right when you once said that no one 
should cease trying to improve or increase 
in good works, but you may well believe 
that at first it was to me no easy task." 

Now, where earnest striving is accom- 
panied by a strong will a blessed success 
must follow; so the sisters became much 
happier as well as more amiable in their new 
home, and their cheerful expressions gave 
evidence of the change. Grateful and con- 
tented, the world appeared to them in a new 
light, and rose-colored spectacles gave a 
brighter aspect even to the every-day trials 
that beset the path of all mortals. 

" See ! see !" said Theodolinde to herself as 
she looked in the direction of the castle. 
" This will be a happy day. The red signal 
waves from the tower-window, inviting us 
over for the whole day. I must go to work 



A BRIGHTER DAY. l6l 

and make my arrangements here." She gave 
a few finishing-touches to the dainty little 
breakfast-table, then went below and gave 
to the matron the necessary supplies for the 
day. When she returned to the breakfast- 
room, she found that her sister was already 
there. 

" I have had such dismal dreams," said Sera- 
phine at breakfast, • " that when I awakened 
it was a joyous relief to find myself here. I 
dreamed we still lived in the midst of the great 
city, and I sat fit our window and sadly looked 
on the narrow street, dreamily thinking of the 
future ; I had the old desponding, thankless 
heart, and anxiously asked you : ' Tell me, 
Linda, how I may be free from this depres- 
sion and foreboding that torments me so?' 
But you only frowned and said, 'Ask me 
nothing. We are doomed to misfortune ; I 
have the dropsy and am losing my sight, 

and I feel quite certain, from my symptoms, 
14* L 



1 62 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

that I shall have a stroke today.' Then I 
cried out loudly for help and awakened." 

A hearty laugh burst from Theodolinde's 
lips, and Seraphine joined her. 

" Oh what a foolish creature I was then, 
Sera ! It is not strange that the old life will 
not fade out altogether, but must return in 
dreams. How could we expect that happi- 
ness and contentment should come at last, 
after so many years of trouble and repining? 
But our burden of discontent, our everlasting 
complaints and my over-anxiety concerning 
each real and imaginary ailment embittered 
our days." 

" It was habit, I believe," smiled Sera. 

"Yes, truly; and I, as the elder sister, 
should have set you a better example. You 
always had an instinct that we were wrong, 
and it needed only a breath of encouragement 
to fan it into a flame of clear light. But 
I — ach, dear ! — I am ashamed of myself, and 



A BRIGHTER DAY. 1 63 

yet must laugh that one with gray hair 
such a stupid old child could be. I contin- 
ually thank God for the storm that has at 
last rooted out my old habits, and for the 
good fortune that has come to us. Ach ! 
how little have I deserved it!" Her eyes 
glistened with tears. 

"Yes, dear sister; we are a thousand times 
happier now, but we are also humble and 
grateful at heart. If only through our own 
experience we can learn so to guide and 
instruct these little ones who have been 
entrusted to our care that they may correct 
the faults that have embittered our lives, 
then shall we truly show our repentance 
and prove ourselves worthy of the respon- 
sibility that rests upon us." 

"Yes, you are right. Let us hope that 
our little orphans will grow up into intelli- 
gent, useful men and women. I am sorry 
that the little Rosa is not also here. If the 



164 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

good Sabine should spoil her with petting 
and indulgences which as a poor friendless 
orphan she will later lose, it would be an 
unfortunate thing for the child. I am quite 
certain that the poor little thing will sadly 
miss the attentions and luxuries which may 
not always fall to her lot." 

" Theodolinde," laughed her sister, " is my 
dream coming true? You can surely know 
nothing of the future ; or has one of your 
old-time prophecies of distress and dan- 
ger-" 

Theodolinde laid her hand on her sister's 
lips as she too broke into smiles. 

"Be still! be still!" she cried. " You 
must not scold to-day — it is Sunday — but 
you may through the whole week, for I 
know I deserve it. But our friends at the 
castle expect us ; we must not tarry 
longer," 

"Then I must hasten to the little ones, 



A BRIGHTER DAY. l6$ 

Linda. In an hour I will be ready to go 
over." 

Frau Sabine had awakened Fritz and Rosa 
earlier than usual this morning, for she knew 
with what impatience the baron awaited his 
interview with them. With a beating heart 
she led the children to the library, where the 
baron sat, and then went out into the garden 
with the feeling that the still, calm beauty of 
this Sabbath morning would impart some of 
its peace to her own agitated soul. 

The brother and the sister uttered their 
morning greeting and kissed the hand of 
their kind friend, as was their custom morn- 
ing and evening, but looked up with sur- 
prised, flushed faces at the grave but inex- 
pressibly tender tones of his voice as he 
returned their salutation and, drawing them 
to him, kissed them both upon the lips. He 
sat in his arm-chair. The children stood 



1 66 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

before him, neatly but simply dressed, their 
clear eyes expectantly fixed upon him ; for 
Uncle Fritz — as they had learned to call 
their benefactor — to-day seemed quite differ- 
ent from his usual self. After his glance had 
for several minutes thoughtfully rested upon 
the children, he took from the table their 
grandmother's prayer-book and said, 

" You love this book, my children, do you 
not ?" 

" Yes — ach, yes !" they replied ; and Rosa 
added, 

" Our grandmother loved it too, and said 
we must keep it for ever, but, ach ! I for- 
got all about it, I felt so sad when she died. 
— Do you remember, Fritz, that dreadful 
morning when we went to the churchyard 
together and — " 

" Do not think of that time, Rosa," inter- 
rupted Fritz, quickly ; " only be glad that 
you have the book in your hands again." 



A BRIGHTER DAY. 1 67 

" Yes, my dear child/' said the baron, 
earnestly, "you must not only rejoice, but 
must thank God from your heart; for that 
book holds a great treasure for you both." 

"A treasure?" repeated Fritz; then he add- 
ed, half to himself, " But grandmother never 
had much money." 

"Ach, uncle, is it true?" asked Rosa. 
" Then give it to us, I beg of you, and let us 
send it to the good Frau Hanna, who still 
lives in her poor cold little room. We need 
no money here, for Aunt Sabine says that 
you will keep us and clothe us until we are 
old enough to earn money for ourselves. '' 
She seized his hand and shyly kissed it in 
token of her gratitude. 

" It is not money," said the baron, in a 
faint voice, as he passed his hand over his 
eyes; "it is a much greater treasure. In 
this book is a letter from your dear mother; 
it was written to her father and your grand- 



1 68 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

father. Did you know anything of the let- 
ter ? You are old enough to remember and 
understand : did your grandmother never 
speak to you about it?" 

"Yes, but she always cried so," said Fritz, 
softly and sadly. " Our dear mother wrote 
the letter just before her death, and there was 
no address upon it. Grandmother could not 
send it, and has often been sorely grieved on 
account of it." 

" Oh," said Rosa, " grandmother often 
talked to me about it, too." 

" What did she say to you ?" asked Herr 
von Ebendorf. 

" She told me that we once had a happy 
home," began Rosa, eagerly; "that we lived 
in a pretty little house close by a great water; 
that we had a lovely garden, in which grand- 
mother carried me around ; and that our dear 
mother was a beautiful lady like a princess, 
and our father was very wise and good and 



A BRIGHTER DAY. 1 69 

taught the heathen to love and worship the 
dear God. She said Fritz and I were little 
bits of children then, but we were all so 
happy together ! But a terrible time came," 
whispered Rosa, and her glowing cheek grew 
pale, " for our father and our mother were 
drowned, and grandmother wept so much 
that she became blind ; and then she prayed 
to go to heaven. Ach ! and it was often so 
cold in our room, and — " 

" Enough ! enough !" cried the baron ; and 
he leaned back in his chair. " But what did 
your grandmother say about the letter?" he 
resumed, after several minutes' silence. 

The little girl looked down, as though try- 
ing to remember. 

" Yes," she said, soberly ; " grandmother 

said, too, that it would be a treasure to us, 

for it was the only remembrancer left of our 

dear mother. But that cannot help poor 

Frau Hanna," she added, softly, to herself. 
15 



170 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

" But it can help you, Rosa ; and you too, 
Fritz/' cried the old Herr, in great agitation. 
" The letter was written to me — to the father 
of your dear mother — and it gives you a 
home, my children, and a grandfather, who 
is here before you." 

Fritz and Rosa trembled and looked mute- 
ly, almost incredulously, at the baron ; but 
as they perceived his deep emotion and his 
outstretched hands, moved by a sudden im- 
pulse they sprang to his breast and put their 
arms about his neck, sobbing and laughing 
in overpowering joy. 

Aunt Sabine was now called in to hear the 
children's story from their own lips, inter- 
rupted a dozen times by an impulsive em- 
brace or a reference to the baron just for the 
pleasure of being able to repeat the new and 
precious name " grandpapa." Aunt Sabine 
too found it easier and pleasanter to substitute 
the " dear grandpapa " for the accustomed 



A BRIGHTER DAY. 171 

name "Cousin Fritz;" and the old baron 
walked up and down the room as proudly 
as though the finest title in the land had 
been bestowed upon him. 

At last they bethought themselves of their 
guests and went out into the garden, where 
breakfast was served in pleasant weather. 
The Kommerzienrathin already sat in the 
bower, and the children came bounding 
merrily toward the brother and the sister, 
whom they had impatiently awaited. 

But the coffee grew cold and the breakfast 
remained untouched as the baron told of the 
sorrow and the joy that had come to him 
since their last meeting, and as he intro- 
duced Fritz and Rosa as his beloved grand- 
children and thanked Frau Willmers in touch- 
ing words for the warm, loving sympathy 
which had been the means of leading the 
children to their present happiness. 

"I cannot think what the fate of my grand- 



172 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

children would have been// he concluded, in 
agitated tones, " if Fritz had not found your 
little ones true messengers of God." 

Frau Marie was deeply moved, and Marga- 
reth's eyes were filled with tears ; but the 
irrepressible Elsie cried, 

" Motherdie, I was the first to see our 
dear Fritz. — Was I not, Hubert? — I wonder 
what the aunts will say? We might run 
over, mother, and tell them/' 

Aunt Sabine laughed at the little chatter- 
box, but the mother gravely said, 

" My dear Elsie must not be so impulsive. 
The aunts will come over soon, and will then 
share our joy." 

" Oh, to-day is a lovely, happy day !" said 
Rosa, joyously. — " Let us stay out-doors all 
day, dear grandpapa, for everything around 
seems glad with us." 

" Yes, my little Rosa," said the grandpapa, 
who seemed to have grown younger as well 



A BRIGHTER DAY. 1 73 

as happier; "but first let us strengthen our- 
selves with the hot coffee and the cakes which 
I see coming this way. Our dear Aunt 
Marie has been kept waiting long to-day, 
but she will pardon us, I know." 

Hubert and Fritz were well pleased with 
this proposition, for they had planned to 
spend this their last Sunday together in the 
forest, and had already cast longing glances 
at the coffee and the tempting hot cakes. 

After breakfast the three little girls re- 
ceived permission from Aunt Sabine to 
gather flowers and fill the vases for the 
dinner-table, but Elsie ran up and down the 
avenue which led from the castle-gardens to 
the Orphans* Home, impatiently watching for 
the coming of the aunts. She was still in a 
flutter of excitement and anxious to announce 
the wonderful news to the friends on the 
other side of the hedge. 

At last, at last the gate creaked on its 
15* 



174 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

hinges, and two sunshades .gleamed through 
the green leaves. 

Elsie sprang toward them as though gifted 
with wings. 

" Good-morning, good-morning !" she mer- 
rily called out from a distance. " Shall I 
tell you some news?" and with beaming eyes 
she looked up at the aunts. 

Seraphine, smiling, shook her finger at 
her : 

" May you tell the news, dear Elschen ? 
Does it concern the mamma, or only the 
little ones, Chatterbox ?" she asked. 

Elsie's face flushed and her eyes drooped, 
but only for a moment; then she said quickly 
and joyfully, 

" Mother has not forbidden my telling it ; 
and do you know, dear aunt, she has often 
said that if we know something good and 
something that will make others glad, we 
may always tell it ? Now, this is something 



A BRIGHTER DAY. 1 75 

very good, and you will rejoice with us 
when you hear it." 

V Then relieve your mind at once, my 
child," laughed Theodolinde. 

But Elsie now smiled mischievously and 
hung on Aunt Seraphine's arm as she said 
in a melancholy tone, 

"Ach ! now I have quite forgotten it." 
Immediately after, however, she placed herself 
in the path before the two ladies, and cried 
out, " Fritz and Rosa are — are — are — " 

" Well, what are they ?" asked Aunt The- 
odolinde, somewhat impatiently. " They have 
not disappeared again ? Do not be so foolish, 
Elsie." 

Elsie burst out laughing, but could no 
longer keep the secret to herself. 

M Oh no," she exclaimed ; " they have not 
disappeared. They are over yonder, and so 
happy— so happy ! Rosa and Fritz are Uncle 
Fritz's grandchildren ! Yes, it is quite certain ; 



I76 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

for there was a letter in the book which came 
from Frau Hanna's that made it all plain. 
And Uncle Ebendorf cried, and Motherdie, and 
every one ; but, ach ! why should they all cry, 
when they are so glad ? Fritz says so too, 
and he has gone to the forest with Hubert." 

So the child ran on, and might have con- 
tinued her chatter, but the two aunts heard 
nothing further. They hastened on toward 
the castle, only Seraphine said breathlessly, 

"Oh, Linda! our good cousin! Is it, 
then, possible for happiness to come to him 
again ?" 

But Linda, who recalled her prediction of 
this morning, said, with a self-condemning 
shake of the head, 

" It is the last time. I am a regular old 
teapot with my prophecies and omens. Will 
I never learn the lesson ?" 

When the sisters heard the whole sad yet 
wonderful story frQm Frau Marie, they too 



A BRIGHTER DAY. 1 77 

shared in the universal joy over the good 
fortune of Fritz and Rosa and the happiness 
of the grandfather. 

The noonday meal was one of unusual 
festivity. The health of the Kommerzien- 
rathin was drunk, and that of her absent 
husband; also Aunt Sabine's and the "Stifts" 
ladies, as the baron jestingly called his cousins. 

The children sat under the trees and fin- 
ished their dessert of almonds and raisins, 
with tempting dishes of the finest straw- 
berries. 

" Yes, it was truly the happiest day that 
ever had been/' said Elsie ; and she wished it 
would never end. 

Rosa again and again quietly stole to her 
grandfather's side and slipped her little hand 
in his, while he caressingly stroked her 
golden head. 

But even the happiest day must come to 

an end. The sun sank lower and lower; the 

M 



I78 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

noonday heat had passed away, and old and 
young peacefully enjoyed the refreshing 
evening breeze. 

The children had gone to their favorite 
spot, the bower of firs above on the moun- 
tain that stood as sentinels on the edge of 
the forest, and from which one could over- 
look the whole wide valley. Aunt Sabine 
was with them and enjoyed their lively 
chatter. But they suddenly ceased, awed 
by the magnificence of the sunset, that 
had never before appeared so beautiful. 

" ' The heavens declare the glory of God 
and the firmament showeth his handiwork/ ,; 
said Aunt Sabine, softly. 

" Look, dear aunt !" whispered Rosa, 
eagerly. " Now I am sure that over yonder 
is the heaven of which grandmother talked, 
and that she dwells there with the blessed 
angels;'' and she pointed to the glowing 
western sky. 



A BRIGHTER DAY. 1 79 

11 No, my darling ; no one truly knows 
where is the heaven which holds our loved 
ones who have left the earth, but they are 
safely sheltered by God's everlasting love; 
and this consciousness comforts us and 
makes us happy. Above and around us is 
an immeasurable, boundless space in which 
the sun, the moon, our earth and many 
millions of other bodies are found. The 
reflection of the sunlight on the clouds 
causes this wonderful magnificence that 
moves us so, and we look up filled with love 
to the Creator of such beauty, and say, 'How 
beautiful are the heavens !' But the splen- 
dors of these pictures often decrease, and 
sometimes wholly disappear from our sight ; 
yet there is a heaven which may be ever 
clear and bright, in which many good angels 
dwell, and in which we, although on earth, 
may be blessed and happy." 

The children gathered in a little circle 



l8o WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

around Aunt Sabine, for her earnest, win- 
ning tones harmonized well with the solemn 
evening stillness and the waning daylight, 
and impressed their young hearts. 

" Yes/' said Margareth ; " mother often 
talks to us about it. She too knows of 
that heaven — " 

"Oh, I too," interrupted Hubert. "The 
sun is a million and a half times greater 
than the earth, and the moon is fifty times 
smaller than the earth." 

"I do not mean that, Hubert," corrected 
Margareth ; " all children know that who 
attend school and study astronomy. I mean 
the heaven in which we may be blessed." 

"And knows our little Margareth where 
this heaven is ?" asked Aunt Sabine. 

Margareth silently nodded, and Rosa cried 
eagerly, 

" You know it, Gretchen ? Then tell us. 
May not we too know it?" 



A BRIGHTER DAY. l8l 

" Surely/' replied Margareth, lovingly. " I 
will tell you what I mean ;" and she put her 
arm around Rosa, laid her hand on the spot 
where the quick beating of the little heart 
could be felt through her thin summer dress, 
and said, almost shyly, " Here, dear Rosa — 
here in your heart — may be heaven." 

Rosa stared at her with a look of incredu- 
lity upon her face. 

"Ach, Gretchen !" she said, half impatient- 
ly, " how you talk !" 

" Who can dwell here in my heart ? How 
can angels be there?" cried Fritz, who also 
could not understand. 

"And why, then, was grandmother so anx- 
ious to go to heaven ?" asked Rosa. 

" Gently, gently, my children," warned 
Aunt Sabine. " Listen to me. The grand- 
mother longed for heaven; that is true, for 
all people desire to go to heaven. But, ach ! 
how few understand that there is a way to it 

16 



1 82 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

on earth — that here we may be as blessed as 
in the eternal home of God !" 

" Oh, aunt, I really understand it quite 
well/' cried Elsie, impulsively; "for some- 
times I am as merry and happy as only the 
angels can be." 

Aunt Sabine raised her hand with a mo- 
tion of dissent : 

" No, dear Elsie ; the happiness of which 
you now speak has not its source in this 
heaven. There are earthly joys for which 
we thank God ; they beautify this life, but 
they are not lasting and may at any time 
leave us. Where then would be our heav- 
en ? Inexhaustible treasures that cannot 
pass away must they be that open the way 
to heaven — that ensure us its blessedness 
both here and in eternity, But we must 
daily seek the way and the means with 
earnest and strong desire ; and when we are 
in the right path, then will fall at times a 



A BRIGHTER DAY. 1 83 

gleam of heavenly happiness into our hearts, 
even here on this earth, and thus we may 
readily guess what the word 'blessed' really 
signifies." 

"But, auntie," cried Elsie, "indeed I am 
very often blessed; for truly I am always 
happy." 

" Dear child," smiled the old Frau ; and 
she kissed the little girl, who, with Rosa, 
had nestled close to her side. " You are 
right, for has He not said, ' Let the little 
ones come unto me, and forbid them not, 
for of such is the kingdom of heaven ' ? 
And says He not also, ' Blessed are the 
pure in heart ' ? Now, my dear children, a lit- 
tle child, a good child, is pure in heart; there- 
fore the peace of heaven is in his heart and 
he is blessed. But as you grow older many 
dangers threaten this heaven from without. 
Then will falsehood, vanity, pride, self-will, 
envy, discontent, scorn, and many other 



184 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

evil companions, unperceived slip into the 
little heart." 

"We will see," interrupted Hubert; and 
he quickly laid his clenched hand on his 
breast, as though even now defying the 
enemies approaching this fortress. "I will 
not let them in." 

" Nor I," " Nor I, either," echoed Elsie 
and Rosa; but Margareth said in her 
thoughtful way, 

" Yes, we all think that, but it is not quite 
so easy." 

"An angel called Conscience guards the 
entrance," said Aunt Sabine, encouragingly. 
" He loudly and anxiously warns you when 
a wicked guest would press into your heart. 
You must all carefully listen to the voice of 
this angel during your whole lives, for then 
will you admit only good spirits unto your 
hearts — unchanging faith, warm, active human 
love, patient, quiet hope — and you will keep 



A BRIGHTER DAY. 1 85 

your pure blessed child — hearts as long as 
you live, and will know where heaven lies 
even here upon earth." 

" But, aunt," said Fritz, " our grandmother 
said there w r as great splendor and magnifi- 
cence in heaven." 

"Yes, Fritz, and your grandmother was 
right; for there is nothing more beautiful 
than a true, loving human heart which not 
only bears heaven within itself, but also 
spreads its joy around it. And if, while 
here on earth, as messengers of the Master, 
as ministering angels, you dry the tears of 
sorrow and draw forth smiles of joy, then 
are you blessed here and may look forward 
with peace and confidence to the blessed- 
ness which shall belong to them who have 
rightly lived this life." 

"Ach, aunt! it seems as if our mother 
were talking," said Margareth, softly ; "you 
think just as she does." 

16* 



1 86 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Frau Sabine's expression was a very happy 
one at this moment : 

11 Yes, dear Margareth ; we have many 
thoughts in common, and so your mother 
and I love each other very dearly. She has 
always lived in the great city, I far away 
from all bustle and noise; but we have both 
earnestly sought the answer to the question 
' Where is heaven ?' And we have both — 
thanks to the good God ! — learned the way. 
But come now, my little flock; it is already 
growing dark." 

Hand in hand in peaceful, gentle mood the 
children walked homeward ; even the little 
Chatterbox had become quiet, and more 
heartfelt than usual were the embraces with 
which the little party bade one another 
" Good-night." 

The next day the Kommerzienrath arrived 
to carry home his loved ones, whom he had 



A BRIGHTER DAY. 1 87 

sorely missed, but first he must pay a visit 
of inspection to the surrounding country. 
In his mind he had long planned a change, 
and now he found himself in a position to 
carry out his project. This was to retire from 
business and devote the remainder of his life 
entirely to his family — to leave the busy, noisy 
city and amid the beautiful and healthful sur- 
roundings of nature to bring up his little 
flock. His acquaintance with the baron, 
which had ripened into a hearty friendship 
during the few days they had spent together 
in Breslau, had helped mature his plan. The 
baron had represented the country in which 
his estate lay as beautifully situated. The 
inducement of such an agreeable neighbor, 
and, above all, the letters of his wife and 
children, filled with rapture over Tannenwiese 
and regrets that they must leave their dear 
friends and the delightful mountains, settled 
the matter with Papa Willmers, and he 



1 88 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

decided to establish his future home in that 
district if possible. Now, after a few days 
amid the pleasant circle, he was so agreeably 
impressed by his surroundings that his inten- 
tion was quickly carried into effect. He pur- 
chased a handsome, spacious mansion in 
Riesenburg, only half a mile from Tannen- 
wiese. Lovely gardens and beautiful wood- 
lands surrounded the new home, and the 
children made a thousand plans for the won- 
derful times they should have together, for 
the Willmers family were to move into the 
country the following spring. 

Rosa and Elsie, who possessed lively 
imaginations, built innumerable air-castles, 
in anticipation celebrating picnics in the 
depths of the shadowy forests, dolls'* parties 
under the great trees on the lawns, sumptu- 
ous dinners with the rare privilege of almonds 
and raisins for dessert, and the important 
anniversary of the opening of the Orphans' 



A BRIGHTER DAY. 1 89 

Home, with a group of happy, rosy children 
dancing on the green, and fairy-stories from 
the indulgent aunts, until the title of " chat- 
terbox " was no longer confined to Elsie 
alone, for her honors were equally shared 
with Rosa, whom Aunt Seraphine had 
christened " the rival chatterbox." Fritz and 
Hubert dreamt of future exploring expedi- 
tions over mountain and valley, of straw- 
berry- and blueberry-gatherings, and Marga- 
reth already in thought assisted the dear 
mother in packing for the removal from Bres- 
lau and in arranging and beautifying the 
home in Riesenburg. 

Papa Willmers was overpowered with 
endearing terms and caresses; even Aunt 
Theodolinde almost threw her arms about 
his neck in her delight when she learned 
the good news ; and Aunt Sera no longer 
remembered that she has u wrestled and 
struggled," so joyous had life grown to her, 



I9O WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

so charming was the prospect of always 
having near the dear true friends to whom 
she owed the enjoyment of these calm, un- 
troubled days. 

" Oh what a different life it will be here 
among the woods and mountains from that 
between the rows of houses in the city !" 
said Hubert 

" But all the days are not holidays even 
here, my son," reminded Herr Willmers, 
"and the picnics and the exploring expedi- 
tions are only for hours after the tasks are 
done." 

" Oh yes, we know, papa," said Elsie, 
wisely. " Fritz and Hubert will study at the 
academy in Riesenburg, and Margareth, Rosa 
and I will attend the seminary; and one holi- 
day the Tannenwiesers will come to us, and 
the next we will go to them ; and we will 
have such good times at school ! and at home 
we will — " 



A BRIGHTER DAY. I9I 

"'Good times' !" laughed Hubert; "that 
is true, Elsie. Why should we not?" 

In view of these brilliant prospects, the 
farewell to Tannenwiese was not so sad as all 
had feared; besides, the baron had promised 
to bring Frau Sabine and the children to vis- 
it the Willmers family at Christmas. He 
should have business in Breslau during the 
winter ; it agreed well with his plans to spend 
some time with the dear friends and look 
after the grave of the good grandmother. 
So they parted with a few tears, but with 
smiles breaking through as they uttered the 
joyous, hopeful "Auf frohes Wiedersehen !" 



CHAPTER VIII. 

CHRISTMAS JOYS. 

SOFTLY, yet in bewildering numbers, 
fell the snowflakes, one after the other, 
pressing down as rapidly as though they 
could not reach the earth soon enough to 
protect it from the fierce north wind that 
swept over the heath. Sea and river lay 
silent beneath the icy hands which checked 
their onward flow, and from the eaves of the 
houses in the great city glistening pendants 
overhung window-panes engraved with rare 
crystal bloom. The people hurried through 
the streets or hugged the cheery fires in the 
cosiest rooms of their warm dwellings. 

It was a bleak and bitterly cold winter day, 
and yet all were gay and festive ; for it was 

192 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 1 93 

Christmas-tide, and Christmas without snow 
and ice outdoors, and frosty window-panes, 
seemed no real, true merry Christmas-time, 
maintained young and old. Never is the 
severity of Winter's reign so loved; never 
is he greeted with greater gladness than 
when he spreads this marvellous shining 
mantle abroad, over hill and valley, and 
illumines it with magical beauty as the 
great golden Christmas sun bursts forth in 
all his glory, suggestive of the flaming lights 
that decorate the green fir tree with its mys- 
terious holiday bloom. 

" Did I not say so ?" cried Elsie Willmers 
as she ran to the window in her night-dress 
and watched the whirling snowflakes. * Did 
I not say so, Gretel ? We will have a white 
Christmas. Ach ! and how white ! It snows 
as though it would never stop." 

" Hush, Elsie !" reminded Margareth ; " Rosa 
is still asleep, and we must not awaken 

17 N 



194 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

her, for she is very tired after her long jour- 
ney." 

Elsie dressed herself as quickly as possi- 
ble, with a running accompaniment of whis- 
pered thoughts to her sister. It was im- 
possible to keep to herself all the joy that 
filled her little heart to-day. It was as 
though one happiness followed in the foot- 
steps of another. So much had happened 
since this time yesterday morning! In the 
forenoon the school had closed after en- 
tertaining exercises, and Elsie had returned 
home with a good report of promotion into 
a higher class, receiving with open satisfac- 
tion the praises and congratulations of parents, 
brother and sister. After dinner came the 
excitement of preparing for the reception of 
the Tannenwiesers, as she called them, with 
permission to descend with Jacob into the 
cellar and to mount with Susanne to the 
store-room, and to test the various kinds of 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 195 

cakes which, partly in honor of the dear 
expected guests, partly to celebrate the 
Christmas festival, had been baked. At 
evening the friends had been welcomed by 
a stormy greeting, followed by a blissful hour 
in the children's room. There had been so 
much to fill this one day to overflowing that 
our little Elsie went to bed almost as tired as 
Rosa, and slept soundly until morning. How 
joyous was the awaking this morning with 
the thought, " Fritz and Rosa are here, and 
to-morrow is the holy Christmas Eve !" and 
yet a new delightful surprise with the glance 
out on the snowy streets. Yesterday every- 
thing looked gray and damp, but to-day just 
the right longed-for Christmas weather, more 
beautiful even than ever before. 

It was not long before the travellers also 
were awake, and the day's pleasures began. 

While the baron and Herr Willmers went 
out immediately after breakfast to make 



I96 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

purchases for the morrow's festival, the 
children, in the warm and cozy saal, deco- 
rated a giant fir tree, which should be light- 
ed by a hundred candles this evening and 
rejoice the hearts of many little ones whose 
homes could afford no Christmas tree. Nothing 
could the children more enjoy than this work 
of arranging the rosy apples, the gold and 
silver nuts, the sweet heart-shaped cookies, 
the gorgeous bonbons, and a host of other 
attractive knickknacks, between the dark 
green needles, then to adorn each branch and 
every little twig with the bright-colored can- 
dles which should lend a bewitching glow to 
all this magnificence. 

Margareth placed on the long white-cov- 
ered table the gifts which her mother had 
prepared for her poor children; she knew 
just as well as her mother for whom this 
or that pretty present was intended, for 
Frau Willmers had from their earliest youth 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. I97 

enlisted, as far as possible, her children's 
sympathies in all her charitable undertak- 
ings, had taught them that it was one of 
their most sacred duties and privileges to 
comfort and assist their fellow human be- 
ings in every way with love and self-denial ; 
and already they had often known the hap- 
piness of bringing smiles to sorrowful, trou- 
bled faces. So this forerunner of their own 
festival was a great pleasure, and one eager- 
ly anticipated by the children. They had 
contributed to it many spare groschea be- 
sides the pretty dolls, picture-books and 
toys which lay beside the more substan- 
tial gifts of their mother upon the Christ- 
mas-table. Very pretty was the room 
when all was finished. Each child's place 
was surrounded by a bower of fir branches, 
and above, on one of the thickly-sugared 
raisin-cakes which lay in every plate, Hu- 
bert had dropped a Christmas card with 

17* 



I98 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

the name of the happy little boy or girl for 
whom it was intended. 

By noon all the adornments were com- 
pleted, and after dinner the little party, fol- 
lowed by Susanne, who bore an enormous 
basket, wended their way toward the Christ- 
mas market. Here all the most tempting 
toys and sweetmeats were enticingly dis- 
played. Our young friends admired and 
passed on, but purchased none of these : the 
good servant Rupprecht would care for their 
pleasure ; and yet the lid of Susanne's bas- 
ket was lifted again and again, until it would 
scarcely cover what the children bought. 
They had for several years known a por- 
tion of the Christmas market where the 
stalls where small and shabby and gener- 
ally attended by poor old womert or half- 
grown girls and boys, who longingly looked 
at the passers-by. Their wares were sim- 
ple and frequently the work of their own 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 1 99 

hands, yet they cheerfully accosted the vis- 
itors to the market and begged them only 
to look at their little stock ; they were so 
anxious to earn something for their Christ- 
mas festival that they might spend the day 
in only a little less bitter distress than the 
rest of the days. Our party wandered up 
and down these aisles, always leaving be- 
hind them happier hearts and brighter 
faces. 

At a little stand covered by a dingy gray lin- 
en awning supported by four poles sits an old 
woman who has bunches of horseradish for 
sale, and little flower-pots filled with paper 
roses. Ach ! on her withered face the roses 
no longer bloom ; it wears the pale-yellowish 
hue of hunger and distress. How poorly the 
Frau is protected from the cold ! How 
seldom the passers-by glance at her or 
her wares ! Does no one care for horse- 
radish or paper roses ? 



200 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Yes, some one. Margareth has already 
drawn out her dainty little purse : several 
of the flower-pots will look quite pretty on 
the table in the saal, and horseradish is not 
quite useless in the kitchen. To the delight 
of the poor woman, a dozen stalks of horse- 
radish and six of the little flower-pots are 
transferred to the covered basket, and in 
her hand she finds a shining silver thaler. 

"Ach, my pretty Fraulein ! I have not 
change enough here, but wait a moment, 
and I will— " 

Margareth grows quite red, but bends 
over and joyfully whispers in her ear, 

"That is quite right. Roses will not 
bloom at Christmas, so I will pay you a 
little more for these." 

She moves away so quickly that she does 
not see the tears of gladness in the eyes of 
the old Frau. 

Elsie and the others are now beside a blind 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 201 

man who is led by a boy carrying a number 
of straw baskets which he is so eagerly try- 
ing to sell for his father. The man is old 
and blind, with many cares, and but few 
pleasures to brighten his long night. At 
Christmas people buy so many costly lux- 
uries that his humble wares are unheeded, 
and the child's voice is scarcely heard: 

"Will no one buy these pretty little 
baskets ? They are not dear." 

Yes, for why had Hubert gone out if not 
to bring home just such a treasure as this? 
It is true he has purchased wax birds and 
wooden figures from other poor tradesmen, 
and, as he tells his sisters with a radiant 
countenance, "paid them right well for 
them ;" but the poor man needs money. A 
couple of baskets for Elsie and Rosa are not 
to be despised, and joyfully the little mer- 
chant separates two of them from the bunch, 
and is quite happy as Hubert presses four 



202 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

times their price into his hand and merrily 
runs away. 

Elsie has grown quite sharp-sighted in 
finding out the stalls of the poorest people, 
and it is all the same to her whether she buys 
a wooden churn or tiny cooking-utensils, frail 
toy-furniture that almost falls in pieces at a 
touch, shabby little trinkets, or whatever 
else may be crowded into Susanne's basket, 
if she may only pay out her little coins and 
see happy faces in return. 

11 Oh, look, Rosa ! there are the chimney- 
sweepers again," she exclaims, and points to 
the old basket of the still older fruit-vender, 
in which a whole army of the little men lie 
in every conceivable position. 

Little reader, are you acquainted with the 
plum-men? If you are familiar with the 
Breslau market, there is no doubt you are. 
They look quite pretty, these little coal- 
black chimney-sweepers made of baked 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 203 

plums, with their gay-colored scarfs, shining 
eyes and stiff, dignified bearing. 

The old fruit-woman is much less stiff than 
they. Her back is bent with age, but her 
expression is much more lively than that of 
the chimney-sweepers. Much, too, of sorrow 
and trouble, of labor and fatigue, may be 
read therein. She wears a dress that has 
been washed and mended so often that it 
has entirely lost its original color, a short 
cloak as shabby and faded as the dress, and 
an old straw hat is tied down over her rusty 
little cap. Yes, she is very poor and very 
old, but now, at Christmas-time, she cannot 
think of that ; she has a very important, 
business-like air. She so arranges her plum- 
men that they may appear at their best, and 
rubs the apples with her shaking hands till 
they shine and look quite tempting ; she 
breathes on her cold fingers, and longingly 
the good old eyes look at the bustling crowd 



204 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

of buyers; but no one pauses at her stall. 
Is there no one, then, who will look at her 
little plum-men ? 

" Oh, dear Susanne, there is still room in 
the basket," pleads Elsie. " We must have 
our chimney-sweepers under our Christmas 
tree ;" and she and her sister pack the minia- 
ture men, one after the other, in the basket 
until Susanne laughingly declares, 

" Now you have enough ; I am not quite 
equal to an express- wagon, although I carry 
enough furniture for four rooms, and cook- 
ing-utensils for as many kitchens, besides 
all the other things, and now must add an 
army of men ! Truly, my arms will bear 
no more." 

The good old fruit-woman clasps her 
hands and admiringly looks after the de- 
parting group. She has not earned as much 
in the whole day in which she has sat here 
in the cold. 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 20$ 

" God bless the good children !" murmur 
her pale lips. 

The Christmas festival of the poor chil- 
dren, in the evening, was full of pleasure, 
but their joy was boundless the following 
evening when the folding-doors were thrown 
open and their own Christmas tree stood 
revealed in all its beauty. 

Never in their young lives had Fritz and 
Rosa beheld anything like this — never had 
they known how happy children celebrate 
Christmas Eve. Only from the rambling 
talks of the feeble old grandmother had 
they known of their earliest years, when 
they too had loving parents, but she, in her 
deep trouble, had never thought of adorning 
a tree for the little ones ; and even if it had 
occurred to her, the means would have been 
wanting. So on both evenings Fritz and 
Rosa stood speechless with surprise and 

18 



206 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

admiration before the brilliant, fairy-like 
splendor of these blooming fir trees ; and 
when their grandfather led them to the 
tables prepared for them and richly laden 
with gifts from him and their kind friends, 
they only gazed in a state of utter bewilder- 
ment at the collection of beautiful things 
which they were told were all their own. 
Then followed impetuous embraces, tears 
and laughter, and joyous sobs that moved 
their grandpapa, Frau Marie, Sabine, and 
even Papa Willmers, to feel their own eyes 
glistening with sympathy. Even the quiet 
Margareth agreed with Elsie when she de- 
clared that " Christmas was always beauti- 
ful, but never had there been such a hap- 
py, delightful one as this." 

"And to-morrow, dear grandpapa, let us 
go to Frau Hanna," begged Rosa, in the 
midst of her pleasure, " and I will take my 
largest sugar-cakes to her. — I wonder if she 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 207 

will know us, Fritz ? I will put on my new 
hat and spread a veil over my face, and say, 
• Who am I ?' " 

" No, she will not know you," assured 
Elsie; "it is quite impossible. You are no 
longer pale, Rosa; and then just think of 
the long, long time since she has seen 
you r 

" Long indeed !" laughed Aunt Sabine. 
" My lambs, it is not yet a year since you 
came to us." 

"No," said Fritz, thoughtfully. "But 
what a good, beautiful year it has been to 
us !" He nestled close to his grandfathers 
side and seized his hand as though to as- 
sure himself that his good fortune were 
really a fact. 

" Yes, we will go to Frau Hanna to-mor- 
row," promised the baron. "She has been 
a kind friend to your grandmother, and 
has loved you, my little ones; and we will 



208 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

show her that our hearts have not forgot- 
ten her." 

"And when will we go to grandmother ?" 
asked Rosa, softly. 

"To-morrow also, my Rosa," was the 
answer. 

It was on Christmas morning that Frau 
Hanna, free for the first time from the painful 
suffering which for months past had kept her 
a prisoner in her bed, sat in the old arm- 
chair which had once belonged to her lost 
neighbor and warmed herself by the stove, 
in which, after much trouble, she had been 
able to kindle a fire. It was still quite cold 
in the little attic-room ; the window-panes 
were covered with a thick sheet of ice, and 
the poor washerwoman looked pale and sad 
from sickness and care. Her hymn-book 
lay on the table before her, with some bread 
and an empty cup; the brown coffee-pot, 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 209 

with whose contents it should be filled, had 
just been set upon the stove. Frau Hanna 
looked with a longing glance at the true old 
friend of her lonely hours, for coffee was her 
breakfast, her dinner and her supper when the 
more nourishing food with which her good 
friend the Kommerzienrathin Willmers often 
supplied her had come to an end. She had 
been unable to earn anything for herself since 
the summer, and thanked God daily for 
sending Frau Marie to her little room as 
his messenger to help her in her bittter 
necessity. At this moment she was think- 
ing of the good Frau, and her hands folded 
themselves in a silent prayer for her benefac- 
tress. The Kommerzienrathin had been kind 
to her in many ways since the death of her 
old friend and neighbor. She had bestowed 
upon her all the earthly goods left by the 
grandmother, and had given her work and 

paid a higher price than that usually 
' 18* 



2IO W«ERE IS HEAVEN? 

received by the poor woman ; so that she 
had hoped to lay aside a few spare groschen 
against the coming winter. But then this 
dreadful sickness came, and she could no 
longer earn enough to keep want from the 
door. At first she was only confined to her 
room, but was finally compelled to stay in 
her bed by the intense pain. What would 
have become of her then if the Kommerzien- 
rathin had not so fortunately come to her 
assistance ? 

Frau Hanna arose and tried to walk up 
and down the room, but her feet were stiff 
and feeble and the once strong arms tired 
and weak, and with a deep sigh she resumed 
her former place. Again she folded her 
hands and murmured to herself: 

"Ach, dear God ! give me strength only to 
earn my little piece of bread, or take me to 
thyself as quickly as possible. The doctor 
has said I must not wash nor scour; must I 



CHRISTMAS JOTS. 211 

sit here year after year and depend upon the 
charity of others ? Must I for ever be a 
burden to the good lady? Ach! it is a 
bitter thought. And where can I stay? 
Will it not soon be with me as bad as the 
misfortune which threatened the grand- 
mother ? I too must move on the first of 
the year ; the landlord wishes to build a new 
house, and therefore must tear down the old. 
Where will I find a room at such a low rent, 
and who will seek one for me ? I cannot be 
so bold as to ask this of the good lady. 
No, no ! It were better for me to lie down 
and close my eyes for ever, as the grand- 
mother did a year ago. Ach ! ach ! how 
full of trouble is life !" 

In spite of these sad reflections, the old 
Frau again attentively looked toward the 
stove, and, as a fragrant steam now ascended 
from the coffee-pot, she lifted her old friend 
and began her breakfast with such good 



212 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

appetite that the hour for which she longed 
seemed as yet quite distant. Suddenly she 
sat down her cup and listened. Yes, really ; 
footsteps were approaching; they came not 
only up the last flight of stairs, but directly 
toward her door. Who could it be? Per- 
haps Susanne, from the Kommerzienrath's, 
or Jacob. 

A knock. 

"Come in!" cried Frau Hanna; and a tall, 
stately, gentleman, an old lady and two chil- 
dren appeared upon the threshold. 

Quite startled by the unexpected sight, 
the washerwoman raised herself from her 
chair and seized her crutch, although doubt- 
ful as to the correctness of her vision, and 
was about to courtesy to the strangers when 
the children — a boy and a girl — ran up to 
her, grasped her hands and exclaimed as 
with one voice, " Who am I ?" 

"Ach, you dear children !" exclaimed Frau 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 21 3 

Hanna; and in an instant she forgot the 
stately gentleman and the lady, forgot her 
stiff limbs and her countless troubles, and 
embraced and kissed Fritz and Rosa with a 
tenderness that one would scarcely have 
expected of the poor old Frau. " Rosa — 
dear little Rosa ! And Fritz, the good boy ! 
So tall ! so fine !" 

" Do you see, grandpapa ? She knew us 
at once," said Rosa, joyfully. 

These words recalled to Frau Hanna the 
presence of her other visitors. 

"Pardon, Your Lordship, that I am so 
forgetful/' she said, in confusion : " but, ach ! 
I was so glad to see the dear little faces once 
more, and looking so — so changed and so 
happy. — Oh, my darlings, how you do look 
— healthy and bright and merry !" and again 
she had eyes only for the two children. 

The baron and Frau Sabine were deeply 
moved by the appearance of the miserable 



214 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

little garret-room and the poverty of the 
only friend of the children's grandmother. 
When Frau Hanna again looked up at them 
and saw tears in their eyes, she exclaimed, 
in astonishment, 

" What fortune has the dear Lord, then, 
sent to the children ? It seems as though 
the gracious Herr and Frau care for them 
even as much as their own grandmother 
did." 

" Yes, Frau Hanna," said the baron ; and 
he moved nearer. " We love the children 
quite as much." 

"This is our grandpapa, Frau Hanna," 
explained Fritz. 

"And our Aunt Sabine, who has known 
and loved our blessed mother, and who now 
loves us," added Rosa. 

Frau Hanna stood still and shook her head 
incredulously : 

" Yes, but how could that be possible ?" 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 21 5 

" Do you not know, dear Frau, that ' all 
things are possible with God'? Have you 
not read in your hymn-book there the verse, 

* 'Tis with the almighty God an easy thing 
To make the troubled heart with joybells ring'?" 

said Frau Sabine, gently. " When Fritz and 
Rosa are older and visit you again, they will 
explain to you what they hardly as yet 
understand themselves. " 

" Oh yes ; we understand," said Fritz, 
importantly. " We have the best grandpapa 
in the world, and the dearest Aunt Sabine, 
and are as happy as it is possible for any one 
to be." 

"Yes, you are happy, my son," said the 
baron ; " and we have all come to-day to 
thank the good Frau Hanna for her kind- 
ness to my grandchildren and their grand- 
mother." 

" Oh, gracious Herr," exclaimed Frau 



2l6 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

Hanna, "the little good that I could do has 
already been repaid a thousand times by the 
Frau Kommerzienraihin. I have never had 
so much kindness before in my life, and to- 
day — ach ! to-day has come this great pleas- 
ure to me. — Look at me, Rosa, you timid 
little creature ! — How merry her eyes are ! 
Ach ! if only the grandmother could see 
her now! Am I dreaming, or is it really 
true?" She pressed her hand to her fore- 
head with a troubled expression. 

Rosa laughed up in her face : 

" You are wide awake, Frau Hanna. To- 
day is Christmas, and we have brought you 
something pretty." 

Frau Hanna turned away : 

"Ach ! I want nothing more. I cannot — " 

" Yes, yes ! You must accept it," cried 
Fritz, eagerly. "We always received what 
you brought us ; do you not remember 
that ?" 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 217 

"And how often have you mended our 
clothes and brought grandmother a pot of 
coffee ! Do you not remember that ?" asked 
Rosa. "And you stayed with us all night 
long that sad time; you have not forgotten 
that?" 

The tears streamed over the pale cheeks 
of the washerwoman, but she smiled and 
nodded as one after another the children 
recalled the kind deeds which she had done 
for them in past years. 

Rosa now brought from her little basket 
the largest sugar-cakes and sweetmeats from 
her Christmas-table, and from Aunt Sabine's 
larger bag came a beautiful Christmas cake, 
with a goodly supply of sugar and coffee ; 
and presently Fritz appeared with a box 
which they had left standing outside the 
door, raised the lid and bade Frau Hanna look 
within, but the poor Frau's eyes were blinded 
with tears and she could see nothing more. 

19 



2l8 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

She heard the children triumphantly tell 
that the box and its contents were hers, that 
Aunt Sabine herself had made the clothes 
and Aunt Theodolinde and Aunt Seraphine 
had knit the stockings ; and Rosa whispered 
in her ear that in the pocket of the woollen 
dress there was something she must not see 
until they had gone : grandpapa had put it 
there. Then she heard as in a dream that 
Uncle Willmers had found a little room for 
her, and that she must be ready on the after- 
noon of New Year's Day, for Jacob would 
come for her things, and Susanne would be 
there, in readiness to accompany her to her 
new home. 

And then they all disappeared so quickly 
that Frau Hanna had not time to say one 
word of thanks. The coffee had become 
quite cold, and once more she sat in her 
arm-chair with folded hands, but with a 
happy light in her eyes, the grateful, glad 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 219 

smile of the Christmas-time, for its joys had 
reached her too in her lonely little room. 

" Was she glad to see you ?" exclaimed 
Elsie as she ran down the steps to meet 
Fritz and Rosa on their return; she had 
stood at the window for an hour burning 
with impatience and listening for the sound 
of the carriage-wheels. " Did she know 
you ? It was too bad mother would not 
allow us to go with you ! Was she sur- 
prised? Was it not beautiful?" 

"Yes, more than I can tell you," replied 
Rosa, with a happy smile. 

"And she knew us at once," said Fritz. 
" But what will she say on New Year's 
Day?" 

Elsie clapped her hands. 

"Oh, that will be a delightful time!" she 
shouted. "And we will all be there together. 
I rejoice over that day and night," 



220 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

"And I !" "And I !" cried Fritz and Rosa. 

" I wish it were here now," said Rosa; "it 
is a long time to wait. ,, 

The grandfather and Aunt Sabine laughed 
at their impatience, and Sabine said softly, 

" How our little ones rejoice at the pros- 
pect of giving happiness to another! and 
yet so many parents think the only way to 
make their children's hearts glad is by minis- 
tering to their own amusement and pleasure 
by vain show and useless toys that are cast 
aside in a short time and followed by a 
desire for' something more entertaining. If 
they would only sow in the impressionable 
young hearts the seeds of a lasting happiness 
that should take root and bring forth fruits to 
enrich and beautify their whole lives !" 

Five happy, merry days, five long sweet, 
peaceful nights, passed away, and at last the 
Sylvester sun arose — somewhat late r it is true, 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 221 

but so bright and clear that one might be 
pardoned for wondering if it were not May 
instead of January. 

With joyous hearts and expectant faces our 
little party started forth after dinner, and as 
they wandered along the promenade, each tree 
of which was now, as a year ago, adorned by 
a beautiful glistening starry robe, it seemed 
as though they were traversing some magic- 
ally-transformed bower. It is true the little 
noses were somewhat reddened by the cold 
air, but the hearts beat with such joyous ex- 
citement that the children were really un- 
conscious of the rude north wind. They were 
not accompanied by the older members of the 
family to-day. The distance was short ; the 
end of their walk lay before them now — a 
large old-fashioned brick house with tall 
chimneys, projecting corner towers and 
many clear shining windows, through 
which one could see pretty white curtains, 

19* 



222 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

plants in bloom, and here and there a cheer- 
ful, kindly old face. On one side stood a 
venerable church; it was separated from the 
street by a pleasant garden. Quite peace- 
fully must life pass here near the Sabbath 
bells and with the view of the promenade, 
which is beautiful in winter as well as in 
summer, but truly most fair when all nature 
around is green and blooming. 

" Do not walk so fast," begged Margareth ; 
" we might slip or fall down, and thus break 
the bottles." 

" That would be a fine thing !" laughed 
Elsie ; and she obediently moderated her 
steps, but not for long. 

When they reached the Home for Aged 
and Infirm Women — for such was the name 
of this lovely retreat — they eagerly mounted 
the steps, and only when Jacob, who had al- 
ready been here an hour, opened for them 
the door of a pretty, cosy little room did 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 223 

their excitement begin to sober down into 
a more quiet joy. 

"Ach! Yes, yes! It is the arm-chair in 
which grandmother always sat; and there is 
my little stool too," said Rosa, with a wist- 
ful expression; and Fritz stood before the 
old chest of drawers with the high feet and 
the brass handles, which Jacob had polished 
until they shone like gold, and sighed softly 
at the recollection of how often he had vain- 
ly sought for a piece of bread in the upper 
drawer, which had served also as a store- 
room. 

But Margareth, perceiving the sadness that 
had fallen upon the children, cried, 

" Hasten, dear Rosa, and fill the sugar- 
bowl. — And you, Elsie, pour the cream into 
the pitcher, but carefully, that you may not 
spill it." She meanwhile proceeded to put 
the coffee in the old brown coffee-pot, which 
stood close to its familiar friend the cup, as 



224 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

though both felt rather timid in this fine new 
dwelling. Then she spread a white cloth 
over the table and arranged everything for 
Frau Hanna's supper in her own pretty- 
little manner. 

" Jacob, you have made her things look beau- 
tiful," said Elsie.— "And see, Hubert ! Mother 
has thought of everything. There are all the 
things for Frau Hanna to cook with, on that 
side-table; and what a pretty rug is before 
the bed, with soft warm felt shoes on it !" 

But Hubert had no time to listen or to 
look, for he and Fritz were occupied in mov- 
ing a table a little to the right, although it 
looked quite well where it stood; but they 
must do something in the universal prep- 
aration. 

Listen ! She is coming. A carriage stops 
before the door. 

" Here she comes !" whispered all the 
rosy lips ; and all the bright, expectant child- 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 225 

ish eyes were fixed upon the door, while the 
little ones sought to conceal themselves as 
far as was possible. 

The door opened, and the feeble old 
washerwoman stepped into the room leaning 
on Susanne's arm. Had she grown so much 
weaker? It seemed as though she could 
not hold herself upright and had not strength 
to speak ; but as she now, with a bewildered 
look, saw all her own furniture around her, 
she hastily withdrew her arm from Susanne's, 
sank upon her knees and raised her hands 
toward heaven : 

*' O thou good and loving God, is it true ? 

May I live here — here, where I have so often 

looked in silent longing? here, where rest and 

peace remain after all the pain and care? 

How could I think such wonderful blessing 

possible for me? Are there, then, truly 

angels on earth, as the grandmother said?" 

She sobbed like a child. 
P 



226 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

The children, in their hiding-places, sobbed 
too, and Jacob made dreadful contortions to 
conceal his emotions; but Susanne, who 
had from her mistress learnt something of 
her own quiet self-control, bravely kept the 
tears back, put her arms about the trembling 
Frau, raised her and carefully led her to the 
arm-chair. Now the children came forward, 
and there was no end to the questions and 
answers and rejoicings. 

Margareth quietly lighted the little petro- 
leum-stove, placed the coffee-pot upon it and 
like an attentive hostess made preparation for 
refreshment for Frau Hanna. Yet it was 
doubtful whether the coffee would taste of 
salt or of sugar, for bright tears, which she 
could not restrain, would fall even into the 
brown coffee-pot. 

Jacob and Susanne had long ago gone home, 
for they were needed, and it was growing 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 227 

dark, when our little party moved with rapid 
steps toward the city. Innumerable gaslights 
gleamed along the snow-covered promenade ; 
a golden gleam was in the western sky, and 
from the spire of the cathedral deep melo- 
dious sounds announced the hour. The two 
boys walked arm in arm, and Margareth be- 
tween the younger girls, but all were silent. 
The young hearts were full of sympathy and 
touched with a feeling beyond the power 
of expression. The world around them, 
shining mistily in the evening light, and the 
echoes of the happy Christmas, still ringing 
in their souls, mingled with the afternoon's 
experience and in the nature of each touched 
a new chord that on some future day should 
awaken into sweet music. 

In the bright light of the festively-adorned 
sitting-room at home the spell was broken, 
and all were now ready to relate everything, 
even the least incident, to the parents. 



228 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

"Aunt Sabine, you cannot imagine how 
much we enjoyed it," Rosa concluded her 
share of the narrative. " I am so happy !" 

" Does my dear child know why she is so 
happy ?" asked Aunt Sabine, with a smile. 

" Because I have had such a delightful day, 
auntie dear." 

" No, Rosa ; it is because you helped to 
bestow happiness upon another. That is 
why you are so glad at heart." 

"Yes, I understand," cried. Elsie; "and 
when we grow older and have more money, 
we can cause greater happiness and will be 
still more joyful ourselves.— Is it not true, 
Motherdie ?" 

The Kommerzienrathin put her arms about 
the impulsive child and kissed the smiling 
lips : 

" Yes, do that, my Elsie ; and all of you, 
dear children. Strive to bestow happiness 
wherever it is in your power ; you will then 



CHRISTMAS JOYS. 229 

be richly blessed and sure of happiness on 
this beautiful earth of God's. You will be 
able to look back with thankful hearts on 
each year you have lived, and to begin each 
new one with faith and joyous confidence, 
and—" 

"And make a heaven of your own on 
earth even as this true and loving friend 
and mother," added the baron ; and all drew 
nearer Frau Marie, until they formed a circle 
around her, murmuring, " Yes ! yes !" 

" She is only striving to walk in the path 

that leads to heaven," said the gentle Frau, 

with a smile ; but her eyes shone through 

glistening tears. " Now lay your little hands 

in mine and let us make an agreement that 

we will all seek this way and follow it with 

our whole hearts ; that we will leave the evil 

and cling to the good, spreading abroad the 

sunshine of happiness, the golden light 

of heaven, so that other lives also shall 
20 



230 WHERE IS HEAVEN? 

know the heaven of the heart while here 
on earth." 

A close pressure of warm hands and a 
kiss for each eager upturned face sealed the 
compact. 

Whether our young friends remained true 
to their pledge or were enticed from their 
chosen path by false lights and the sweet 
fragrance of poison-flowers, — that will I re- 
late to my dear readers on some future day. 



THE END. 



IZ> * 



<JC-? 




sal n 

IS^^^^HBE^D BBS 

ffifi wM 

1h^ 




Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Nov. 2005 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 
1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



■■ 



t«#£ 






^;wm* 



I ram 

Ilia 

■ ■ ■ ■ .#1*' . *<■ 



PI 



<>.';<■ 






r ** 



■ 



U» 



V 



■ 






■■ 



m 



■ 






S&? : '^> HI 

S8JM3 -. ■ 



* I * I i^l^/^K -■ , >■£ ■■ 



I 




■n 



■■ i 

I 

'Twirl ' "9%. 1 1 ' 

H 



■■ 



I 



